


A Pain in the Ass: Rhapsody in Ass Major's Codex

by MaverikLoki, Ywain Penbrydd (penbrydd)



Series: A Comedy of Assholes (Rhapsody, etc.) [44]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: A million words of worldbending deserves its own codices, Meta, Totally useless if you're not a Rhapsody reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2018-05-21 01:32:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 70,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaverikLoki/pseuds/MaverikLoki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/penbrydd/pseuds/Ywain%20Penbrydd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Rhapsody Codex is designed to make clearer the places Rhapsody in Ass Major diverges from DA canon, and also to fill in some parts of Thedosian life and culture that are not explored, elsewhere. Some canon divergence has to do with when we started writing this -- right after Inquisition came out, but before any of the DLC or WoT2. Basically, the Rhapsody Codex is a collection of the whats and whys of the series. (And maybe, if you're lucky, a couple of Howes.) This is a work in progress, and will periodically be updated. The codex may move more quickly than the continuity edits, at times.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

## Introduction

The Rhapsody Codex is designed to make clearer the places we diverge from DA canon, and also to fill in some parts of Thedosian life and culture that are not explored, elsewhere. Some canon divergence has to do with when we started writing this -- right after Inquisition came out, but before any of the DLC or WoT2. Basically, the Rhapsody Codex is a collection of the whats and whys of the series. (And maybe, if you're lucky, a couple of Howes.) This is a work in progress, and will periodically be updated. The codex may move more quickly than the continuity edits, at times.

 

* * *

 

## Timeline

It is nearly impossible to determine when things happen in relation to other things, in this series, at times. *laughs* And we are so, so very aware of that, as time goes on. So, we're working on a timeline to put everything in order, once and for all, including some events that happen before the beginning of the story or offscreen. If you're looking for a particular event, and can't remember what chapter it's in, the timeline will probably help.

Click here for the [Rhapsody Timeline](https://www.groundline.net/rhapsody/timeline/index.html).

 

* * *

 

## Frequently Arsed Questions

### Where should I start reading Rhapsody?

Begin at the very beginning (of the series). It's a very good place to start.

 

### Rhapsody looks like it's got an awful lot of porn and scary shit in it. How do I know what I should skip?

There is a list of smut chapters, in the next section! Each one has a brief summary and warnings, so you know what you're getting before you get there. The shorts are, of course, much shorter, and each one is tagged appropriately.

 

### How in the fuck did you DO this?

I have no idea. *cackles* We just... started as we meant to go on, I guess. This was supposed to be 3000 words of porn, the end. Now we're up to almost 1,000,000 words, in the first major book (there's two of those) and over a million in the series. If you meant 'what tools did we use', [Etherpad](https://etherpad.net/), [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/), [Aeon Timeline](https://www.aeontimeline.com/), and [SciTE](http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html). Mostly Etherpad, because it is glorious (especially if you run your own instance, which I strongly advise).

 

### Are you ever going to finish?

Yeah, probably. We've actually finished writing the first major book, as of 11 February, 2016, which is a little less than a year after we started writing it. Next up, we've got the epilogue and the second major book -- Inquisition.

 

### So, in chapter [x], [foo] does [bar], but later on [foo] is noted as not doing [bar]...

Yeah, we know. Continuity editing is in progress. We hope to get this all cleaned up so that it makes proper sense, soon.

 

### Is there podfic?

Shit yes there's podfic! *points* Mevima has been doing [recordings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386583) of selected smut chapters. Bolded lines in the list below indicate chapters that have been recorded.

 

### I made fanart! How do I show you?

First you wait for us to stop running around in circles, screaming and flailing, and then you post a link in [the 'fanart' chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3740602/chapters/9886871) of Rhapsody Sketchbook. After that, we add your image to the page, with full attribution and a link to the original source.

 

### I have a question that isn't answered here. Now what?

Now you either comment on an appropriate chapter of the codex to ask it, or you send an ask to one of us on Tumblr.

### Where'd the list of smut chapters go?

It's now on the next page, because it's way the hell too long.


	2. An Index of Lemons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking for the smut? A little something lemony-fresh? Or perhaps looking to see which chapters to avoid? This list isn't _complete_ , but most of it is here. Each story is marked as 'complete' or 'incomplete', so you can tell.

## Pranksters of Kinloch Hold (incomplete)

  * An Interruption: Karl/Anders; in the library (anal, exhibitionism, hilarity)
  * A Visual Study of Lust: Anders/Val/Leofric, Anders/Karl; Fen'Din studies the faces Anders makes (anal, oral, prostitution; intercrural, voyeurism, exhibitionism)
  * The Wage(r)s of Sin: Anders; is very flexible (autofellatio, exhibitionism)
  * A Sucker Punch and a Couple Good Blows: Anders/Niall; Val gets decked first (oral, anal, first time, awkward, vomit)
  * Imperfect Exchange: Anders/Val/Leofric; Anders tries to make a very expensive purchase (oral, anal, horrifying background pining, entropy magic, prostitution)



## Rhapsody In Ass Major (complete)

  * 2: Anders/Cormac, Fenris/Artemis; Deep Roads public sex, Anton is sleeping dammit (drunkenness, oral, anal, voyeurism, exhibitionism)
  * 6-9: Cormac/Anders/Artemis/Fenris, Anton/Cullen; in the coat closet AND the cellar, property damage (drunkenness, oral, anal, dubious consent, eroticism as a response to violence, orgy, two siblings but no incest)
  * 18-19: Anton/Cullen; fun with syrups and blowjobs (oral, foodplay)
  * **22-23: Anders/Artemis; taking the flagpole SOBER (drunkenness, sobriety potions, oral, anal, rimming, dildo)**
  * 26: Anton/Cullen; Cullen's blushy and desperate (drinking, handjob)
  * **32: Cormac/Anders/Artemis; Anders sandwich on the couch (That is not the ass you meant to grab, anal, two siblings but no incest)**
  * **38: Anders/Cormac; "Hurt me like only you can" blood and destruction (painplay, bloodplay, anal, extreme masochism, explicit stories about one brother told to another, rimming, felching)**
  * 42: Artemis/Cullen; So fucking drunk he thinks it's Anton (drunkenness, mistaken identity, oral, anal, voyeurism)
  * 50-51: Fenris/Artemis/Cormac; Not drunk enough for any of this corset incest shit (Hot Hawkes in corsetry, incest, voyeurism, exhibitionism, rimming, drunkenness)
  * 52: Fenris/Cormac; Artie's bitches Fade-fisting Cormac's bones (Dubious consent, pain play, improper use of Fade Ghost)
  * **59: Cormac/Artemis/Anders; sounding with his TEETH (incest, dildo, handjob, sounding, oral, voyeurism, uncomfortable confessions)**
  * 60: Fenris/Artemis; good thing Fenris doesn't know that's the flagpole (dildo)
  * 65: Fenris/Artemis; think creatively, Artemis wants you to use him (maid outfit!) (d/s play, dress-up, simulated violence)
  * 67: Artemis/Cormac; just them, finally. An audience, hot tea, and dick-skinning (incest, pain-play, bloodplay, insufficient lube accidents, exhibitionism, voyeurism, drunkenness)
  * 77: Justice/Cormac; and the whole family is present (eroticism as a response to violence, possession, consent without desire)
  * 84: Cormac/Artemis; roleplay, a potion, and Artie finally getting what he wants (incest, d/s play, roleplay, aphrodisiac, oral, anal, exhibitionism, voyeurism, masturbation)
  * **86: Fenris/Artemis; contortions & fingering, leave the toys for Artie (dildo, fingering, anal, handjob)**
  * 90: Anton/Cullen; allll kinds of awkward and a goat (oral, fingering, anal, interrupting goat says MAEH!)
  * 98-100: Cormac/Artemis; vibrating butt plugs and public sex (vibrating butt plug, incest, sexual torment, d/s play, inappropriate times and places, anal, handjob, voyeurism, exhibitionism)
  * 106: Fenris/Artemis; in a closet, making the golem hum (oral, anal, d/s play, breathplay, uncomfortable dom, interruptions)
  * 109-110: Fenris/Artemis/Cormac/Anders; electricity, the garden, everybody loves Artie (oral, anal, rimming, double penetration, fingerlicking, fingering, mild pain play)
  * **116: Cullen/Anton; Cullen discovers the lawn furniture (dildo, handjob)**
  * 126-128: Theron/Artemis; Showing Fenris all the choking he hasn't been doing (partner-swapping, breathplay, anal, background het)
  * 129: Fenris/Artemis, Theron/Kalli; Trading around to use the fuck out of Artie (breathplay, anal, background het, oral)
  * 135-137: Anders/Fenris; in the library, electrically charged (explicit consent, biting, extreme caution, anal, voyeurism)
  * **139: Anton/Cullen; in MEREDITH'S FUCKING WARDROBE (oral, handjob, reasonable anxiety)**
  * 153-155: Cormac/Anders; I'll slosh when you fuck me, not the best plan they've ever had (klismaphilia, anal, handjob, flashbacks)
  * 157-161: Cormac/Artemis; Divine Love; worshipping his god; FEELS AND CRYING (incest, confessions of love, aphrodisiac, subtle d/s play, pain play, oral, anal, felching, fisting, extreme emotional distress)
  * 172-176: Justice/Fenris/Artemis/Cormac, Anders/Cormac/Artemis; lyrium licking, too drunk for earthquakes, Cormac what the fuck (incest, oral, anal, fingering, drunkenness, inappropriate uses of arcane magic, a lust for lyrium, uncomfortable accidents)
  * 181-183: Anton/Cullen; in front of the mirror, DAMMIT CARVER (drinking, oral, anal, interruptions)
  * 185-187: SPIN THE BOTTLE. Not smut BUT STILL IMPORTANT. (kissing, dubious consent, incestuous liplock)
  * 195: Cormac/Artemis/Fenris; just a little one, suggesting the bachelor party. (oral, anal, incest)
  * 204-207: Everyone/Artemis; Artie's bachelor party (incest, sloppy seconds, anal, inverse voyeurism, background het)
  * 229-230: Artemis/Cormac; getting the chastity belt bloody (chastity belt, bloodplay, knifeplay, pain-play, incest, handjob)
  * 233-237: Cormac/Artemis/Fenris; Artemis meets the chastity belt, tied to the lawn furniture (chastity belt, incest, bondage, oral, anal, rimming)
  * 242: Cullen/Anton; dragon dildo & dragon noises! (animal dildo, interruptions, DRAGON NOISES?)
  * **248: Fenris/Artemis; blaspheming the Chantry (sacrilege, bondage, drinking, trespassing, oral, anal)**
  * 263-266: Fenris/Artemis/Anders; Fade-fisting turned into Fade-choking (drunkenness, sobriety potions, oral, anal, improper uses of Fade Ghost, breathplay)
  * 286-291: Cormac/Zevran/Artemis, Fenris/Isabela; Forcing it for his brother and their audience (consent without desire, macho posturing, kink negotiation, exhibitionism, stripping, background incest, background het, pain play, blood play, knifeplay, background masturbation, fingering, anal, background drinking)
  * 292: Anders/Cormac; casually having a conversation about a map (anal, interrupted, serious conversation during sex with other people about something else)
  * 302-305: Nathaniel/Anders, Fenris/Cormac/Anders: Filth in the Deep Roads (drinking, trading insults, oral, anal, autofellatio, internal watersports, sloppy seconds, felching)
  * 316-317: Artemis; Slutty hawke rides the stallion (animal dildo, drunkenness, unrelated violence, flashbacks)
  * 341-342: Artemis/Fenris; Provoking memories best left forgotten (oral, anal, rimming, flashbacks, violence)
  * 348-349: Cormac/Anders; something is very wrong, but Cormac can fix it (desperation, flashbacks, oral, rimming, anal, internal watersports, interruptions)
  * 355: Cormac/Artemis; BETHANY NO OH MY GOD (incest, snogging, interruptions)
  * 356: Anders/Fenris; chocolate goes well with sausage and lyrium (blowjobs, food play)
  * 359-361: Anders/Fenris/Artemis; an autofellatio contest nobody can lose... especially Fenris (oral, autofellatio, fingering, background het)
  * 376-377: Cullen/Anton; ruinously villainous, writhing on Anton's desk (food play, snogging, anal, handjob, ridiculous dialogue)



## By the Petty Crown (complete)

  * 11-12: Anders/Cormac; on the floor of the house that barely has walls. (pain play, anal, gags)
  * 16: Anders/Cormac; Anders would like to be less quiet (oral, dirty talk, mentions of bloodplay, overcoming past trauma)
  * 19-21: Cormac/Artemis, Fenris/Anders; Artemis and Fenris for the first time in a long time (dirty talk, snogging, incest, handjob, anal, exhibitionism, fade-fisting, magical orgasm accidents, Justice!porn, dildo, oral, scar-fondling)
  * 33-37: Cormac/Artemis/Anders/Fenris; boner casserole (incest, handjobs, fingering, lyrium-licking, Justice, oral, electricity play, anal, magical orgasm accidents, fade-fisting, scar-fondling)
  * 40: Anders/Cormac; fine dwarven crafts (bloodplay, pain play, anal, handjob)
  * 48-50: Anders/Cormac; Justice's desires (Justice!porn, oral, pain play, fade-fuckery, fingering, anal, interruptions)
  * 108: Val/Leofric/Desire Demon; Val has nightmares (mind-control, necrophilia, death, demons, angst)
  * 118-119: Isabela/Val; abundant issues (snogging, oral, groping, flashbacks, interruptions, coping with past trauma)
  * 124-125: Candles/Anders, Cormac/Anders; Fen'Din asks to draw some things (background het, fade-fuckery, fingering, snogging, anal, Justice!porn, exhibitionism, scar-fondling)
  * 132-133: Kinnon/Peryn; finally. (cuddling, handjobs, awkward)




	3. Introducing Our Scholars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This section will update as we add more codices to the library. Each entry below will introduce a scholar responsible for one or more codices, and provide a brief background and overview of their specialities.

###  Sister Dymphna of Hercinia.

Writing between 9:20 and 9:43 Dragon, Sister Dymphna's focus was always on the migration of humans across Thedas, and the legends gathered by those people as they travelled. Often, she would compare the legends of other peoples to Andrastian beliefs, looking for recurring themes and truths lost to the passage of time. Her work was seen as controversial in some places, as she did not undertake a missionary approach -- leaving people to their own beliefs, rather than spreading the Chant, which was seen as a failure to uphold the faith. Her response to these critics was that the faith served none if it could not tell the whole of the Maker's truth, from the beginning of the world to the present, and that the Chantry had been ignoring thousands of years of legend, simply because the Maker's name wasn't attached. Intervention from the Divine was required to retain her position.

###  Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion.

Vahrel was one of the few Dalish to devote himself to the study of human perception. While few of his texts travelled further than other clans, the bulk of his writing between the end of the Blessed Age and the middle of the Dragon Age provided a distinctly Dalish flavour to common themes in the nations his clan moved through. Frequently, he left aside religious concerns in favour of practicalities like time, measurement, and political concerns. And one might argue that religion is a necessary feature of politics, and in many cases one might not be incorrect, but the finer philosophical points are frequently unnecessary at the level at which religious fervour is used, politically. When asked why he chose to study a majority that could surely study itself, and make great show of it, he replied that the native self-assessments and histories were rarely practical guides for travellers in those lands, and that it was only in studying how humans discussed time and space that one could make a solid point of avoiding them.

###  Giovana Piscemano of Rialto.

Giovana Piscemano is considered the mother of modern Thedosian astrology. Writing in the Black Age, she pulled together a variety of writings from the foremost astronomers of her time, and combined them with what could be recovered of ancient Tevinter beliefs on the subject of the stars. The influences, she reasoned, were real enough, even if the Old Gods were merely possessed dragons, leading a horrific war against mankind. Outside of her astrological writing, she had a lesser-known essay on why Dumat was explicitly a slight to the Maker and the nature of the world.

###  Enchanter Mariota of Perendale.

(Coming soon. I fucked up and forgot to write this one.)

###  Marco Belmayne, Student of History, University of Orlais.

Marco's studies have set him at odds to the professors in his department, who insist that his studies are trivial, and have no possible application in the present world. His focus is not on simply how the great rulers and nobles of the past brought about the present, but about the manner in which they actually lived and what tools they might have used. His studies often focus on household objects, civic infrastructure (rather than the more acceptable architecture), and evidence of culinary choices. In 9:34, his studies led him to pursue an analysis of waste disposal systems across Thedas, past and present. Few other scholars have been willing to take the work seriously, frequently referring to him as Messere le Merde, at conferences, but this has not stopped them from plagiarising parts of his work for use in their own analyses of architecture and culture.

###  Flora, an Adventurer, probably from Kirkwall.

Flora, no family name, is likely a pseudonym. Her works largely consist of investigations into the secret histories of noble families in the Free Marches. When anyone makes the news in a big way, Flora is there to dig up all the things the public might like to know about their new hero. In 9:39, she published A Supplement to the Tale of the Champion, which dug into the history of the Hawke family, as best as anyone was willing to tell it, including tracking down Malcolm Hawke's long-lost family and the village of his birth. She could not, however, find much history for the Champion, himself, before his family's return to Kirkwall.

###  Senior Enchanter Ashling of Jainen.

A mage specialising in the Arcane and Spirit schools, Ashling rose to the rank of Senior Enchanter based on her study of spirits and the Fade. She advanced a number of controversial theories, in the mid Dragon Age, regarding the origin of spirits and the nature of the Veil, based largely on the troubles of the time and the invaluable research done both in ancient elven ruins and the Deep Roads, by the Wardens of the time. During the Mage-Templar war, Ashling took the opportunity to travel into the Frostbacks, to study with the Avvar, first hand, something that is reflected in her later works.

###  Jean-Havard de Ghislain, a gossip columnist.

Jean-Havard's fame stems from his insightful studies of the events leading up to the situations Orlais finds itself in. Though his work is published as a society gossip column, it is frequently of a very different tone and calibre than the usual breathless tittering of the genre. His expose on the conditions at the Serault Glassworks, in the early Dragon Age, riled a good portion of high society, but in no way altered the condition of Serault or its Glassworks, besides perhaps contributing to the number of raiders on the river -- a lasting regret.

###  Enchanter Inella of Kirkwall.

Inella was one of the first to volunteer for the new clinics in Kirkwall, having long suffered under Meredith's policies with regard to healers. As one of her first acts for the new Kirkwall, she wrote a lengthy book on healing without any healing spells, detailing the alternate uses spells from other schools could be put to, as well as non-magical treatments for simple illnesses and injuries. Her books sold exceptionally, not only in Kirkwall, but to the Wardens and several houses of Crows. Despite the sudden influx of money and fame, Inella continued her practise at Kirkwall's Alienage clinic.


	4. A Brief Overview of the Amell Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at the Amells. Spouses/lovers and non-Amell children are mentioned, but not detailed here. Individual characters may get 'Spotlight' entries later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is primarily a skeleton of names and dates, roughly based on canon, where canon had something to say on the subject. Dates are never solidly canonical beyond the years. In most cases, dates were extrapolated from surrounding events, where possible. Where not possible, we made shit up. Where the ages of parents/grandparents needed to be decided, in _most cases_ a parent's age was put at 20-25 years older than the child. Notably, Leandra does not fit the pattern, here. You can check birthdates against the Thedosian astrology chapter for extra hilarity.

## Generation -3 (Great-Grandparents of Carver Hawke & Solona Amell)

### Summary of (Theoretical Granny) Amell

  
**Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**          
**Mother:**        

#### Relationships

  * Amell, (Theoretical Granddad)



#### Children

  * Amell, Aristide
  * Amell, Fausten



* * *

### Summary of (Theoretical Granddad) Amell

  
**Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**          
**Mother:**        

#### Relationships

  * Amell, (Theoretical Granny)



#### Children

  * Amell, Aristide
  * Amell, Fausten



#### Notes

One of these two isn't actually an Amell, obviously, and I have a funny feeling it's him, due to 'Grandmother Amell's Wedding Band', since Bethany's actual 'Grandmother Amell' would be Bethann Walker. Also implies he's lower status than she is.

* * *

* * *

## Generation -2 (Grandparents of Carver Hawke and Solona Amell)

### Summary of Aristide Amell

 **Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Amell, (Theoretical Granddad)  
**Mother:**        Amell, (Theoretical Granny)

#### Life Events

  * Birth           856-09-27 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Death         911 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * Walker, Bethann



#### Children

  * Amell, Leandra
  * Amell, Gamlen



#### Notes

Canon name. Canon spouse. Death date only.

* * *

### Summary of Fausten Amell

 **Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Amell, (Theoretical Granddad)  
**Mother:**        Amell, (Theoretical Granny)

#### Life Events

  * Birth           858-05-01 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Death         Wasted away after Damion's imprisonment, 912 in Kirkwall,Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * Reinhardt, Nele (m. 882 in Kirkwall, Free Marches)



#### Children

  * Amell, Revka
  * Amell, Damion



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. No dates. Aristide's presumably younger brother.

* * *

* * *

## Generation -1 (Parents of Carver Hawke and Solona Amell)

### Summary of Leandra Amell

 **Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Amell, Aristide  
**Mother:**        Walker, Bethann

#### Alternate Names

  * Married Name  Hawke, Leandra



#### Life Events

  * Birth             885-07-10 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence from 885 to 905 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Marriage       905 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence     from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence     930 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Death           934 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * Hawke, Malcolm (m. 905 in Highever, Ferelden)



#### Children

  * Hawke, Cormac (b. 903)
  * Hawke, Artemis (b. 905)
  * Hawke, Anton (b. 907)
  * Hawke, Carver (b. 911)
  * Hawke, Bethany (b. 911)



#### Notes

Canon name. Canon spouse. Dates 9:20-9:34 only. Note, please, that this DOES make Cormac a bastard.

* * *

### Summary of Gamlen Amell

 **Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Amell, Aristide  
**Mother:**        Walker, Bethann

#### Life Events

Birth         886-09-30 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.

#### Relationships

  * Hartling, Mara (m. 909? in Kirkwall, Free Marches.)



#### Children

  * Amell, Charade (b. 912)



#### Notes

Canon name. Canon ship. No dates. At one time, was an awesome Wallop player, and possibly the best in Kirkwall.

* * *

### Summary of Revka Amell

 **Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Amell, Fausten  
**Mother:**        Reinhardt, Nele

#### Life Events

  * Birth                 884-03-12 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence         from 884-03-12 to 911 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Disappearance  Revka vanished shortly after Solona was taken by templars. Her husband left Kirkwall with the rest of the kids some time later. 911.



#### Relationships

  * Selbrech, Alwin (m. 903 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.)



#### Children

  * Amell, Solona (b. 904)
  * Amell, Maud (b. 906)
  * Amell, Alice (b. 907)
  * Amell, Daylen (b. 909)
  * Amell, Kenneth (b. 909)



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. No dates. Her 'firstborn' is taken as a mage somewhere between 9:05 and 9:10, and that's all we've got. Assuming Revka's kids all have the Amell name because the Amell warden in Origins is her kid. Also probably means her husband (who does exist, but is never named) is of a lower class, so the kids get the noble name. The Selbrechs are a minor noble family in Kirkwall, with one templar, Marlein, in the generation after this one, so they fit the bill nicely.

* * *

### Summary of Damion Amell

 **Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Amell, Fausten  
**Mother:**        Reinhardt, Nele

#### Life Events

  * Birth                887-10-14 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Imprisonment  Imprisoned for smuggling, 911 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. No dates.

* * *

* * *

## Generation 0 (Solona Amell, siblings and cousins)

### Summary of Amell, Solona

 **Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Selbrech, Alwin  
**Mother:**        Amell, Revka

#### Life Events

  * Birth                    This could be anywhere between 8:98 and 9:05. I'm choosing later, because it makes more contextual sense., 904-08-03 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence            This could be anywhere between 9:05 and 9:10. Later makes more contextual sense., 910 in Kinloch Hold, Lake Calenhad, Ferelden.
  * Graduation           Harrowing, 930-02-00 in Kinloch Hold, Lake Calenhad, Ferelden.
  * Military Service     Joined the Grey Wardens, about 930-02-00 in Ostagar, Ferelden.
  * Nobility Title        Became Teyrna of Gwaren, 931 in Denerim, Ferelden.
  * Military Service     Promoted to Warden-Commander by Queen Anora, 931 in Denerim, Ferelden.
  * Marriage              931-03-00 in Denerim, Ferelden.(Bride)



#### Relationships

  * Arainai, Zevran (m. 931 in Denerim, Ferelden.)



#### Notes

Canon name. Canon spouse. Canon dates 9:30-9:31.

* * *

### Summary of Maud Amell

 **Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Selbrech, Alwin  
**Mother:**        Amell, Revka

#### Life Events

  * Birth             906-01-07 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence     Remaining Amell mages captured at the same time but sent to different towers., 915 in Ansburg Circle, Ansburg, Free Marches.



#### Notes

No name. No spouse. No dates. Revka's five mage kids are canon, but only the playable one is named.

* * *

 

### Summary of Alice Amell

 **Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Selbrech, Alwin  
**Mother:**        Amell, Revka

#### Life Events

  * Birth             907-03-27 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence     Remaining Amell mages captured at the same time but sent to different towers., 915 in Perendale Circle, Perendale, Nevarra.



#### Notes

No name. No spouse. No dates. Revka's five mage kids are canon, but only the playable one is named.

* * *

### Summary of Daylen Amell

 **Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Selbrech, Alwin  
**Mother:**        Amell, Revka

#### Life Events

  * Birth             Twins, 909-04-20 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence     Remaining Amell mages captured at the same time but sent to different towers., 915 in Dairsmuid Circle, Dairsmuid,Rivain.



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. No dates. Daylen is the name of the male Amell origin. As all fucking FIVE of Revka's kids are canon and only one is named, we figured that both Solona and Daylen would appear somewhere in the list.

* * *

### Summary of Kenneth Amell

  
**Gender:**        Male  
**Father:**         Selbrech, Alwin  
**Mother:**        Amell, Revka

#### Life Events

  * Birth             Twins, 909-04-20 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence     Remaining Amell mages captured at the same time but sent to different towers., 915 in Hossberg Circle, Hossberg, Anderfels.



#### Notes

No name. No spouse. No dates. Revka's five mage kids are canon, but only the playable one is named.

* * *

### Summary of Charade Amell

  
**Gender:**        Female  
**Father:**         Amell, Gamlen  
**Mother:**        Hartling, Mara

#### Life Events

  * Birth         Has to be post-9:11, because Gamlen's parents are dead., 912-11-12 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. No dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### DA Wiki references for the Amell family
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Amell_family
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Amell_Family
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Hawke_Estate
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Grandmother_Amell%27s_Wedding_Band
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Revka_Amell
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Magi_Origin
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Gamlen_Amell
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Letter:_A_Note_Addressed_to_Gamlen
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Charade_Amell
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Leandra_Amell
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Hawke
>   * "Above the locked door to the Amell vault is the skull of an Ogre. It is never specifically stated who was responsible for placing it there." -- http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Birthright
> 

> 
> #### Family Friends:
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cyril_de_Montfort
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Miriam
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Elthina
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Sebastian_Vael/Dialogue - "My mother always said the Amells were the best family in Kirkwall."
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cullen_Rutherford - "I knew an Amell once. She was a special woman. Never met her like again."
> 

> 
> #### Charade Amell
> 
>   * _Dragon Age: World of Thedas. Vol. 2_. Dark Horse, 12 May 2015. (157)
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Charade_Amell
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Gamlen%27s_Greatest_Treasure
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Letter:_From_Charade
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/A_Trouble_of_Red_Jennies
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Jenny_and_the_Tantervale_Charade
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Friends_of_Red_Jenny
> 

> 
> #### Gamlen Amell
> 
>   * _Dragon Age: World of Thedas. Vol. 2_. Dark Horse, 12 May 2015. (152-157)
> 

> 
> #### Leandra Amell
> 
>   * _Dragon Age: World of Thedas. Vol. 2_. Dark Horse, 12 May 2015. (150-152)
> 



	5. A Brief Overview of the Hawke Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at the Hawkes. Spouses/lovers and non-Hawke children are mentioned, but not detailed here. Individual characters may get 'Spotlight' entries later.

## Generation -1 (parents of Bethany Hawke)

### Summary of Malcolm Hawke

 **Gender:** Male  
**Father:**   Aquila, Tafari  
**Mother** : Kartal, Zuri

#### Alternate Names

  * Also Known As Kestrel, Malkhazi
  * Birth Name Aquila, Makena



#### Life Events

  * Birth                      875-01-12 in Afsaana, Rivain.
  * Occupation            Working with the Crimson Oars and other mercenary companies in cities along the coast -- this is likely to have included Kirkwall, Denerim, Amaranthine, and possibly parts of Antiva up into Rialto Bay., from 895 to 903-05-00 in Waking Sea.
  * Residence              Got busted on the Docks, using magic to save the leader of the Crimson Oars. Spent some time locked up, before he slipped out, drawing the attention of Larius., from 903-05-00 to 904-10-00 in The Gallows, Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Military Service      Did a job for Warden-Commander Larius, strengthening the seals on Corypheus's prison., from 904-12-00 to 905-03-00 in Corypheus's Prison, Vimmark Mountains, Free Marches.
  * Marriage                905 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence              From fleeing Kirkwall to the time Cormac manifests magic., from 905 to 911-05-00 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence              Until Artie blows up a room. Cullen witnesses this., from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 927 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Death                    927 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.



#### Relationships

  * Amell, Leandra (m. 905 in Highever, Ferelden)



#### Children

  * Hawke, Cormac (b. 903 in Kirkwall, Free Marches)
  * Hawke, Artemis (b. 905 in Highever, Ferelden)
  * Hawke, Anton    (b. 907 in Highever, Ferelden)
  * Hawke, Carver   (b. 911 in Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden)
  * Hawke, Bethany (b. 911 in Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden)



#### Notes

Canon name. Canon ship. Few dates. We have a strong disagreement with WoT2, as we decided to go with something closer to the story in the Mage Pack, as told through the codices on inherited items, which does _not_ frame Malcolm as a Circle mage. We still dicked around with the story a bit because we have too many Hawke kids.

* * *

* * *

## Generation 0 (Bethany Hawke & siblings)

### Summary of Cormac Hawke

 **Gender:** Male  
**Father:**   Hawke, Malcolm  
**Mother:** Amell, Leandra

#### Alternate Names

  * Also Known As Kestrel, Mack



#### Life Events

  * Birth                      903-05-16 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              From fleeing Kirkwall to the time Cormac manifests magic., from 905 to 911-05-00 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Baptism                 Nameday, 905-06-05 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Blessing                 Manifested magic by folding a templar into a toaster., 911-05-22 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence              Until Artie blows up a room. Cullen witnesses this., from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              Living with Gamlen, from 930-02-00 to 932-03-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              The Amell Estate, from 932-03-00 to 937-07-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              937-08-00 in By the Petty Crown, Anderfels.



#### Relationships

  * **Turpin, Gantry**  
Hook Up           Seriously non-serious. Until Gantry met a nice girl and got married., from 921 to 928 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * **Anders**  
Hook Up           931 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Isabela**  
Hook Up           from 931 to 937 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Hawke, Artemis**  
Hook Up           Finally got together in a bout of drunkenness., 934 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



* * *

### Summary of Artemis Hawke

 **Gender:** Male  
**Father:** Hawke, Malcolm  
**Mother:** Amell, Leandra

#### Life Events

  * Birth                      905-06-05 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Baptism                 Nameday, 907-06-05.
  * Residence              Until Artie blows up a room. Cullen witnesses this., from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Blessing                 Artie manifests magic by blowing up a room. 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              Living with Gamlen, from 930-02-00 to 932-03-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              The Amell Estate, from 932-03-00 to 937-07-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Property                Bought the house Fenris lived in, 933 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              Moves in with Fenris, their house becomes the Hawke Estate, 934 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * **Fenris**  
Engagement     With a goat. 934-00-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.  
Marriage           936-05-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Mahariel, Theron**  
Hook Up           about 918-07-00 in Wending Wood, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * **Turpin, Gantry**  
Hook Up           from 922 to 928 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * **Anders**  
Hook Up           Artie goes to Anders, after he and Fenris break up, 933 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Hawke, Cormac**  
Hook Up           Finally got together in a bout of drunkenness., 934 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Notes

Artie's got the dates of the default Hawke, with some skew for weirding up Act III.

* * *

### Summary of Anton Hawke

 **Gender:** Male  
**Father:** Hawke, Malcolm  
**Mother:** Amell, Leandra

#### Life Events

  * Birth                      907-10-22 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 907-10-22 to 911-05 in Highever, Ferelden. 
  * Baptism                 Nameday, 910-03-08 in Highever, Ferelden.
  * Residence              Until Artie blows up a room. Cullen witnesses this., from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              Living with Gamlen, from 930-02-00 to 932-03-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              The Amell Estate, from 932-03-00 to 937-07-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Elected                  Viscount of Kirkwall, 937-09-05 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * **Rutherford, Cullen**  
Engagement     With the same goat. 934-00-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.  
Marriage           935-05-02 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Isabela**  
Hook Up           Until things got serious between Anton and Cullen, from 931 to 933 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



* * *

### Summary of Carver Hawke

 **Gender:** Male  
**Father:**   Hawke, Malcolm  
**Mother:** Amell, Leandra

#### Life Events

  * Birth                      911-07-26 in Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Baptism                 Nameday, 913-08-04 in Vintiver, Southron Hills, Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Military Service      Serving in King Cailan's army, from 929-11-10 to 930-02-00.
  * Military Service      Battle of Ostagar, 930-02-00 in Ostagar, Ferelden.
  * Residence              Living with Gamlen, from 930-02-00 to 932-03-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              The Amell Estate, from 932-03-00 to 937-07-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Military Service      Joined the Templar Order, 935 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * **Merrill**  
Engagement     Merrill and Carver. Announced in the middle of a ball., 934 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * **Isabela**  
Hook Up           Once was enough., 932 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Notes

Canon name. No ship. Birth year only before 9:30.

* * *

### Summary of Bethany Hawke

Gender: Female  
Father:  Hawke, Malcolm  
Mother: Amell, Leandra

#### Alternate Names

  * Also Known As Bethany, Lady Amell



#### Life Events

  * Birth                      911-07-26 in Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 911-09-00 to 912-03-00 in Honnleath, Redcliffe (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Baptism                 Nameday, 913-08-04 in Vintiver, Southron Hills, Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 917-02-00 to 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Blessing                 Manifested magic by healing herself from the corpse of a stray dog. 918-08-00 in Amaranthine, Amaranthine (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              from 920 to 930 in Lothering, South Reach (Arling), Ferelden.
  * Residence              Living with Gamlen, from 930-02-00 to 932-03-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Occupation            Anonymously published her first treatise on death magic, 931 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Residence              The Amell Estate, from 932-03-00 to 937-07-00 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.
  * Occupation            Published 'Death Cults of Kirkwall', 938-02-12 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Relationships

  * **Vael, Sebastian**  
Engagement     Sebastian proposes to Bethany while holding Castillon at the point of an arrow., 937 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.  
Marriage           939 in Starkhaven, Free Marches.
  * **Isabela**  
Hook Up           from 933 to 937 in Kirkwall, Free Marches.



#### Notes

Canon name. No spouse. Birth year only before 9:30.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Endnotes, Malcolm
> 
>   1. We started writing before WoT2, and our backstory for Malcolm directly contradicts some key points -- namely, our Malcolm was a Rivaini mercenary who didn't see the inside of a Circle until after he'd met Leandra.
>   2. "Codex: The Fugitive's Mantle", Dragon Age 2, Mage Item Pack  
>  <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Fugitive%27s_Mantle>  
>  Malcolm Hawke ranged the breadth of the Free Marches as he ran from the templars who pursued him. He often posed as a mercenary, and his substantial martial skills easily secured him positions in different bands. On one assignment for the Crimson Oars he was sent to Kirkwall, the seat of templar power in the region. He had every intention of staying there briefly, but fate had other plans.
>   3. "Codex: Malcolm's Bequest", Dragon Age 2, Mage Item Pack  
>  <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Malcolm's_Bequest>  
>  In Kirkwall, Malcolm met Leandra and, despite all common sense, courted her. The few times Leandra managed to slip away from her family, Malcolm showed her a whole new world, something completely different from her cloistered existence. It was dangerous, forbidden, and she quickly fell madly in love with the dashing Malcolm Hawke. These stolen moments would end all too soon.  
>  One day, while fighting the Carta on the docks, Malcolm used magic to save the life of the Crimson Oars' leader. The Kirkwall templars were alerted, but Malcolm wouldn't flee the city without seeing his love one last time. He devised to meet her at the masked ball for the visiting Orlesian Empress.  
>  Disguised in Orlesian robes, Malcolm slipped past the templars to dance with his love. At the end of the night, Leandra would not hear his goodbyes and chanced at happiness rather than face her gray prearranged future. Malcolm and Leandra ran into the night and never looked back. 
>   4. "Codex: Malcolm's Honor", Dragon Age 2, Mage Item Pack  
>  <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Malcolm%27s_Honor>  
>  Malcolm and Leandra fled across the Waking Sea, to a new life away from the cold shadow of the Gallows. It took some doing, but the vastness of Ferelden allowed them to fall beneath the notice of their templar pursuers. They settled in the small village of Lothering, where Malcolm made every effort to ensure that his children didn't fear magic, and were well insulated against those who did. Malcolm had picked up a trick or two, here and there, and this deceptively simple staff shows the breadth of his knowledge. More an ongoing project than a specialist's tool, it is the handiwork of someone comfortable with the life he must live, for as long as he was granted the opportunity to live it.
>   5. "Codex: The Long Trek", Dragon Age 2, Mage Item Pack  
>  <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Long_Trek>  
>  Malcolm would never tell his wife or young children where he was from; it was a bloody tale that forever gave him nightmares. When their love was still fresh, Leandra once pressed him on the subject. All he would say is, "Freedom's price is never cheap, but that was hundred leagues and a lifetime ago." His haunted gaze lingered on his favorite boots, and he would say no more.
> 



	6. Spotlight: Malcolm Hawke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For [Mikkeneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikkeneko/pseuds/Mikkeneko), who requested a codex about Malcolm Hawke.
> 
> From _A Supplement to 'The Tale of the Champion'_ , by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Flora), 9:39 Dragon.

With the popularity of the Champion -- now Viscount -- of Kirkwall, it seemed fitting to dig into his background, to find out about his family, and what sort of parents could have produced this man. Most of Leandra Amell's story is no secret at all, with her family having held a noble seat in Kirkwall since the Fourth Blight, may we never have another. But, Malcolm Hawke proved more difficult. Who was this wildly successful apostate who lived free long enough to watch his children grow up and died in his own bed?

Point the first, there is no 'Malcolm Hawke', except in the records of the Gallows and the memory of a handful of former members of the Crimson Oars mercenary company -- those who survived to the present day are of limited number. Instead, let me tell you a tale of a man of many names and places. A man who generally refused to talk about where he was from had started somewhere, all the same.

Makena Aquila was born on the twelfth of Wintermarch, in 8:75 Blessed, to loving parents, near Afsaana, Rivain. His mother, Zuri Kartal, was a seer in a small village that her family had lived in since the dawn of Rivaini history, as far as anyone knew. The spirits told her that her son would follow in her footsteps, and as expected, he showed magical talents at a young age. His father, Tafari Aquila, was an adventurer from Treviso, specialising in the recovery and sale of ancient Tevinter goods. And, as he got older, Makena took after him, as well.

The village remembers him, even now, as many of his contemporaries still live. Old friends from his teenage years describe him as being a typical seer's son, in many ways -- unwilling to view his magic as anything but a gift straight from the Maker's hands and always willing to use it to help others. Still, being a teenager, he hadn't been above the usual assortment of pranks and foolishness, including a small war with a pair of sisters that ended with him having to shave his head to get the pitch out of his hair. The younger sister, it seems, still can't tell that story without laughing until she needs to sit.

But, after travelling with a few of his father's expeditions, he finally set out on his own, hoping to get into a similar line of work, but out from under his father's legendary shadow. By 8:95, he was working as a mercenary for the Crimson Oars. Few who travelled with him survived the life long enough to be asked about him, particularly after an unfortunate event in a Denerim tavern, during the Blight. Still, it was from one of them that I learnt he'd come from Afsaana, by way of Treviso. He'd travelled with the Crimson Oars as their healer for nearly eight years, before he left them in a terrible accident. My informant was certain he'd meant to leave, anyway, having fallen madly in love with a noblewoman 'completely out of his league'. My informant was amazed and proud to hear that Malcolm, as he was called at the time, had gone on to marry that noblewoman.

Still, the incident at the Kirkwall Docks is the best documented incident in his entire history. The leader of the Oars had been gruesomely wounded and Malcolm stepped in to save him, only to expose himself as a mage to a nearby group of templars. Still, he had apparently planned for this eventuality, producing a letter, still on file with the Circle, that claimed he was a voluntary transfer sent from Perendale. Two Knight-Commanders later, an inquiry revealed the letter from the First Enchanter to be a forgery, and the Circle had no record, outside of Kirkwall, of a 'Malcolm Hawke'.

A year later, he was found missing from the tower. The next few months are difficult to piece together, as no one who knows much will say more than a dismissive word or three. Malcolm was seen leaving the Hanged Man, a Kirkwall tavern, with a man in Grey Warden dress. Some months later, he returned with a Warden escort, to claim Leandra's hand and take her and their first child -- she was already pregnant with the next -- away from Kirkwall.

After this, I would have lost him, but for a note from Knight-Commander Cullen, tucked into a file I doubt I was meant to see. A 'Malkhazi Kestrel' shows up in Highever, Ferelden, where he had three sons named in the local Chantry, with first names matching the Champion and his brothers. Messere Kestrel disappeared, one night, shortly before a templar travelling from Kirkwall also disappeared in Highever. It is suspected these two incidents are related.

By the Viscount's own admission, his family lived in Lothering, before returning to the Amell family estate in Kirkwall, and, in fact, I have found a handful of refugees who fled Lothering during the Blight -- much as the Viscount's own family -- who speak to the presence of the Hawke family. It's an interesting choice, really, for our subject to return to the name most likely to attract trouble, particularly considering that he seemed intent on remaining in Lothering in a way he and his family remained nowhere else in the years after Highever. I can find no mention of any of Malcolm Hawke's known aliases elsewhere in Ferelden, but he could hardly have disappeared entirely, particularly with a wife and five children. But, men with five children are not an uncommon sight, in Ferelden, particularly in the Bannorn, and even the family's Rivaini heritage does not seem to have set them apart enough to be distinct. I found several Fereldan men of Rivaini heritage with large families who were terribly entertained at the thought their neighbours had thought they might be related to some Marcher nobleman.

But, Lothering is the last mention of Malcolm Hawke or any alias he may have had, for that is where he, with all his names, was laid to rest. At the surprisingly young age of fifty-two, Malcolm Hawke passed on, in his sleep, after a brief bout of some 'sickness of the blood', which he claimed had plagued him for many years, but had never been a cause for real concern. At the time of his death, Malcolm was a private tutor in history and polearm combat, which neighbours said he always believed was an essential art for farmers protecting their homes from the bandits that frequented the southern roads.

Viscount Hawke could not be reached with regard to where his family had spent the years between Highever and Lothering, which is to say his seneschal and his butler have given me an intimate acquaintance with the pattern on the outside of his doors. Still, a viscount raised by an apostate mage and a prodigal noblewoman in the distant backwaters of Ferelden -- is it any wonder the way in which he approaches politics, as if there is no difference between the lowest of men and the Divine, herself?

\--From _A Supplement to 'The Tale of the Champion'_ , by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Flora), 9:39 Dragon.


	7. Spotlight: Valery de Serault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The Lost Marquis_ , by [Jean-Havard de Ghislain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#jean-havard), 9:39 Dragon

To understand the lost Serault heir, one must first understand Serault. Tucked in the bowl of the Hunterhorn valley, in northwestern Orlais, Serault has been the source for the best Orlesian glass for centuries. The majority of the townspeople, proper, are craftsmen, with an inordinately large number working for the Glassworks, which keeps a tight grip on its secrets and its employees. Though there is a booming trade in glass, few traders are willing to bring more than coin or exotic goods to exchange, thus the townspeople suffer elegantly, but still suffer for their lack of basic necessities common in the rest of Orlais. Still, the hunting in the wood has been enough to keep them fed. Around the town flourishes the Applewood, still under the authority of the marquisate, although some say the wood has its own ruler, and legends abound of what can be found in the deep wood -- the usual stories that surround a place with such a history as Serault.  
  
But, the troubles began in the late Blessed Age, when the then-Marquis of Serault made some terrible deal with a demon and devastated so much of what he'd worked to achieve. When the templars were through with him, the Divine, herself, arrived to visit a final insult upon the House of Serault -- she removed their ancestral mask, the Glass Antlered Mask of Serault, and with it, their noble status.  
  
Still, Serault being what it is, that didn't stop the House of Serault from ruling it, and the marquis's son stepped up to take the title, stripped of meaning beyond the borders of his territory, and ruled quietly and without much fanfare, cleaning up his father's legacy and restoring Orlesian faith in Serault glass -- the latter not being a difficult task. He passed the title to his own daughter, as he aged, and she intended to bestow it upon her son.  
  
The boy, when I met him, was a quiet child, much inclined to reading dusty books he couldn't possibly have understood and avoiding most attempts to make him go outside. I was there to write an article on the Glassworks, and though they would not let me in, the guildmistress was kind enough to deflect my questions over an excellent supper at the Thousand-Windowed Castle, as Château Serault is called, locally, and the boy kept me occupied with stories of his great-grandfather, the Shame of Serault, as we waited to be called to that supper. His name was Valery, a fine Orlesian name, and he was his mother's only child -- a fact he was quite vain about, when asked. 'Why should she need another, when she has _me_?' he retorted, a sentiment that has stuck in my head, particularly since I heard the new marquis was his mother's _daughter_.  
  
Young Valery insisted, despite his mother's protests, that he would learn from books how to be a great mage, that he might correct the Shame's mistakes and bring Serault back to the glory it once radiated across all Orlais. I told him that as best I knew, one was either born a mage or not, and the books wouldn't help at all, if he didn't have the Shame's magic in him, but the thought stood the hair on my neck -- he was a child of that blood. Perhaps he was just the same as the old marquis. When his mother suggested he might benefit from a hunting lesson, he vanished from the room like a young boy fleeing bedtime, not to be seen until his governess delivered him to the table for supper. Marquise Eglantine assured me the boy was simply going through a phase, that he was at that age when young boys dream of adventure, and I thought nothing more of it, that visit.  
  
But, when the new marquis was seated -- a marquis, and not a marquise, by title -- there was no trace left of Eglantine's son, and the girl was too young to have been that son, changed by the purported magic of the deep wood. There had been no son, the new marquis insisted, she had no brother. She was the only child of Eglantine. But, I knew that was not so. And I wondered to myself what had become of the boy who wanted to be a mage. I decided to inquire with the guildmistress, a woman who knew I had met the boy, and might be more inclined to help me find him, rather than the townspeople who had no reason to help and no idea how many children the marquise may have had. But, the guildmistress I met was not the guildmistress I'd known twenty years before -- this was a woman of middle-years and far too many smiles. And, alas, she could not help. The marquise had only one daughter, a fine huntress, loved by the people for her venturesome spirit and willingness to bring meat to those in need, or so the guildmistress claimed. If there had been a son, no one outside the Thousand-Windowed Castle had met him, and perhaps he had taken the Hundred Days Cough. The House of Serault still kept the ashes of their dead, she'd heard, in the mausoleum of the old Chantry, which Divine Beatrix, herself, had sealed before the dawn of the age.  
  
The mausoleum was a separate structure to the Chantry, and not under the same seal, but there was no vault for Valery, and in that moment, the thought came to me that perhaps he had succeeded. If he had become a mage, in the home and image of the Shame, no wonder no one would speak of it. Not just a single mage, a freak accident of the bloodline, but an ongoing line of mage-blood in a noble house! I inquired with Val Royeaux, but they had no record, claiming that individual towers kept greater detail on their own charges. I finally found word of the boy at Montsimmard, where some remembered him as a gentle and precocious youth, quick to share, and others remembered him as intensely manipulative and quick to offer bribes for favours and things he shouldn't have been permitted. In fact, the Circle at Montsimmard had long had a contract with Serault for glass, and the marquise, one Senior Enchanter recalled, had been quick to manipulate the terms of the contract to buy aid for her son. This could not be permitted for long, of course -- such extortion at the institutional level could not be condoned, whatever might happen on a smaller scale.  
  
Instead the boy had been sent to Ferelden, and placed in the care of First Enchanter Remille, as it was thought best to keep him in Orlesian hands, if far enough not to be able to wield his noble influences. Unfortunately, it seems First Enchanter Remille met his end under questionable circumstances that no one seems to wish to discuss in detail. Whispers include things from a failed coup against King Maric to summoning darkspawn for another Blight, though the most likely tale involves demons. In an ancient tower full of mages, demons are not so far a stretch.  
  
But, I reached Kinloch Hold too late to gain an audience with Valery. He is reported missing and likely deceased, after a wall caved in, ruining the long-held sanctuary of the ancient Tevinter tower. Tens of mages and several templars have disappeared in the wake of the incident, and the Queen of Ferelden is intent on finding some more stable sanctuary, for the survivors. I assisted in moving stones away from a pile of crushed armour, and some of the remaining residents of the tower found it in themselves to speak of Valery, as he was. I heard stories that seemed incompatible with the stubbornly conscientious boy I met, so many years past. Instead, I heard of him as manipulative and cruel, vain and lazy, with a sharp tongue but a weak fist. Those last seemed fitting, at least. They spoke also of another mage he'd kept company with, a Fereldan's Fereldan, as these things go, by the name of Frick. This one, they said, was the smart one. He'd become an enchanter, on his own merit, and not through Valery's influence, and though his patience was long, his fist was heavy and deadly accurate. A bodyguard, I thought, remembering Valery's refusal to learn the usual gentlemanly arts of hunting and swordplay.  
  
With deep regrets, I left blood lotus and embrium, by the edge of the fallen wall, and with a small donation to the re-housing campaign for those poor mages, I returned to Orlais. The lost heir remains missing, but he can no longer be considered an heir. I will not do his sister the dishonour of releasing this manuscript, until her rule is secure enough to withstand the scrutiny. Some part of me hopes he survived the collapse, and that I might meet him again, one day. Another part of me fears that with apostacy will come a return to the Shame's mistakes, and this time, perhaps, with an even deadlier toll.

\-- _The Lost Marquis_ , by [Jean-Havard de Ghislain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#jean-havard), 9:39 Dragon


	8. Spotlight: Dolora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of texts following one of the resident spirits of Kinloch Hold.

_Found among the records in the infirmary:_

Enchanter Wynne--  
Do keep an eye on Keili. I understand she is not your student, but your experience with spirits makes me think you may see something others have missed. Accidents are happening at an alarming rate to those who have addressed her on certain subjects, particularly the Sisters. She has been in the chapel and away from the location of the incidents, for the most part, which makes me think someone or some _thing_ is acting on her behalf.  
May the Maker guide your hand,  
Mother Idonea

* * *

_Printed in reverse, inside the cover of a book, as if it were closed on wet ink:_  
Alim, leave the Sisters from the Chapel alone. -- Wynne  
  
 _Equally backward, in a different colour, chased with smudged charcoal:_  
Try Uldred's students. I have better things to do. -- Fen'Din

* * *

The situation continues, and I begin to regret accusing dear Keili in any way. The poor girl is more sincere in her devotion than I have seen in any who haven't chosen to pursue a monastic life. Perhaps in another world, that would be possible for her, but sadly, she bears the Maker's judgement clear in her hands, the same as all the rest. And it is that judgement that the initiates see in their dreams. Over and over, they are confronted with the terrifying spectre of magical burdens of their own. None of them have manifested any symptoms, and tests administered by the templars have shown no mages among the sisters, but the dreams are far too much for some, and I have had to call in favours from Denerim, to have them transferred to calmer places. We will try again, this time with only the purest, those who have lived their whole lives in the shelter of the Chantry. The strongest in faith seem to hold off the nightmares longest, but still, those who stay away from Keili seem safest of all.  
\-- From the journal of Mother Idonea of the Kinloch Hold chapel

* * *

_A note found between two unrelated documents in Mother Idonea's desk:_

  
Mother Idonea--  
Forgive the delay, but we had to be certain. We have put the girl to every test we have. She is not possessed, and the First Enchanter agrees with Wynne's assessment: there is a spirit of Compassion or Kindness who haunts the girl, perhaps responsible for her gentle manner and quick forgiveness, but no demon could be found.  
  
First Enchanter Irving proposes that the problem may not be the apprentice, but the Chapel. As it is the place where we all bring our troubles, that may have stirred something on the far side of the Veil, that is not strong enough to pass through, but can make its interest known. His investigatory team would like to close the chapel for a few days, so they can perform a ritual to reinforce the Veil in the room and chase off any lurking demons that have attached themselves to the fear and anger of those who come for your aid and the Maker's.  
\-- Captain Hadley

* * *

Dolora is a spirit of that very thing, as one might anticipate. Few spirits are creative with names beyond their purpose. This one takes easy offence at the sadness of others, often bringing visions of similar situations to those who have caused the sadness. She is confused by sadness with no sentient cause, or sadness that cannot be returned to its source, because the source has died. Death, too, brings no simple end, for her. Where the dead are at fault for the grief that comes of their death, she will bring visions to their graves or pyres, trying to wring an apology from the unfeeling corpse. It has taken years of instruction to convince her that the dead do not apologise, unless they remain in spirit.  
  
When confronted with overwhelming grief with no easily discoverable or afflictable source, she becomes profoundly distressed, broadcasting the grief across a wide area, in the hope that someone will help her solve the problem. Unfortunately, this leads to a destructive loop that drags her toward a more demonic presentation, as she draws strength to maintain the broadcast from the suffering of those trapped in its area. Once she is soothed, and the initial problem is addressed, she returns fairly quickly to a more comforting and docile state.  
  
While her choices are not often what would be advised for the living, she is frequently quite effective in accomplishing her aims -- most frequently drawing some sort of amends from the source to the sufferer. Once some truly knowing attempt at an apology has been made, once the source can be made to feel and accept regret, she is able to move on and does so easily. In this, it is best to keep her away from those who do not or cannot feel regret for their actions, as it is far more difficult to draw her attention away from them, once she has encountered someone they have wronged.  
  
\-- _An Augur's Account of His Spirits_ , Fen'Din of Skyhold, 9:42 Dragon


	9. Spotlight: Fen'Din

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of scattered notes on the early life of an elven mage of Kinloch Hold.

Now, I don't know what you might have heard about what happened in Halamshiral, but the elves are still pissed about that whole Dales thing, you understand? And I'm not just talking about the ones still alive and walking the streets. Which, you know something, I'm a dwarf -- I don't really give a shit about surface politics, except where it affects where I can sell my goods, and I sure as the Blight didn't believe in any of those stories about dead people getting up after a thousand years and going back to war.  
  
But, I was there, that day. And, I'll admit it, I might have been doing some trade in not strictly licensed goods, down in the slums, by the gate. Nice thing about being a dwarf is the Dalish don't give a shit about doing business with you. There's a great trade in Dalish goods going into the cities, _especially_ in Halamshiral. So, there I am, minding my own business, when the littlest elf kid you ever saw sits down to play jacks or something, by himself, in the garden by the gate. Not two beats, and there's skeletons climbing out of the ground. I swear the poor little bastard must've been sitting on a mass grave or something. People are screaming, everybody's trying to pack up their goods or run away, but here's this little kid offering a toy to this ancient skeleton that's still wearing armour. And sure enough, they sit down and start playing with him. Her? I can never tell with elves when they're that small.  
  
And the kid keeps playing and more and more skeletons keep coming up. There's so many of them, there's nothing left in the public garden that hasn't been trampled. It's like a wall of bone and metal the size of a warehouse. And the kid keeps talking to them, like they're going to answer, showing them how to play a game. And they do, if that's not the weirdest thing. I mean, if I was to believe all those horror stories from the mountains, I'd think the risen dead would just get up and start stabbing people.  
  
But, you know, it's Orlais, the empire of nobody can leave well enough alone, so this only goes on until the templars show up and start waving their swords and threatening people. Threatening _elves_. Which, I get the impression that goes on a lot in Halamshiral, but this time, the skeletons do not like the idea. Out come the rusty swords and weird dead-guy magics, and the skeletons turn into the kid's personal bodyguard. It took the templars nearly two candles to hack through them all -- and they kept getting back up. They were already dead, I guess, so killing them again didn't do much good. It was mayhem. I was just there because I wasn't walking away from my goods and the road was too clogged up to move it all. Had to keep an eye on it all, especially around the templars. You get into Orlais, and they're worse than the highwaymen, to anyone who's not human. But, I stay out of their way, and they usually stay out of mine.  
  
So, they finally get through to the kid, who's just sitting there, still playing a game with four or five of the skeletons, and he waves and offers a toy to the templars running up on him. I'll tell you, I thought they were going to kill him. But, the skeletons disarm the first few pretty easily, and as the skeletons start getting up again, the kid just falls over like he's been hit in the head. Nobody near him. And then the skeletons just stopped getting back up. And the templars cut the kid's arm and tie a poultice to it. I don't really understand, but if they weren't templars, I'd have thought it was blood magic. But, the kid never cried. They carried him off looking all confused and glassy-eyed, but he was still alive. I dunno what they decided to do with him, but I know they took all the skeletons out the gate and burned them. The elves who got a look at the armour said they were warriors from the Dales -- the Emerald Knights, I guess they were called. Original protectors of Halamshiral, and still pissed about getting the short end of the stick. I really just hope they got that kid a nice nug and kept him away from graves.  
  
\-- a tale told by Valda, a Carta merchant in Amaranthine

* * *

  
The tests are underway, and the child is like nothing I have seen before. I am afraid I will have to disappoint the First Enchanter, because I do not know how to heal this.  
  
On the surface, Alim seems bright and easily interested in reading and eating -- I'd almost call eating a hobby for him! He can easily distinguish hot and cold, or the difference between a gentle poke and a stiff prod, though gentler touches seem to be lost on him entirely. He appears entirely incapable of understanding pain, perhaps of feeling it at all. I have had to set the same arm three times, this month, because he keeps falling on the stairs, but he never seems bothered by it, except that the arm no longer works like he wants it to. 'Can you fix this?' he asks me, like he's dropped a cup.  
  
Enchanter Uldred wants the boy, of course, but the child wants nothing to do with him, and I doubt Uldred would be able to care for him as appears to be necessary. He might be able to instruct Alim in controlling his necromantic talents, but I do not believe Entropy provides a means for repairing the endless rather severe wounds and broken bones the child stumbles into for lack of anything to tell him not to. I have no idea what the boy finds so unpalatable about Enchanter Uldred, given that he has no fear and few strong opinions. If his personality holds, one day he'll either be First Enchanter or dead.  
  
Of course, to listen to the boy talk, he's already dead. He doesn't remember the templars at all -- just that his friends, an army of ancient warriors risen from the grave -- fought to protect him, but then their voices went away and he woke up here, which he believes to be the Fade. He asks if I don't hear the spirits -- of course I do hear a spirit -- I'm a Spirit Healer -- but he seems to have an awareness of other spirits as well. I rather want to see if Irving wouldn't teach him, what with that Fade project he's working on, but Irving wants him 'sound in mind and body' before anything else, and I'm not certain that's possible. The best I can do is heal his wounds and teach him not to speak to demons.  
  
\-- from the journal of Enchanter Wynne, 9:12 Dragon

* * *

_A note found stuffed between two books on the lost Amaranth expeditions, in the main library of Kinloch Hold:_

  
A light hand with an even, looping flourish: I heard a rumour that Uldred woke up screaming in the night. What was that about? Do you know?  
  
A thick, angular hand, left leaning: I don't know shit. You know the crazy elf hates him. You think...?  
  
A tight scrawl: Yeah, you two keep thinking like there's a brain between you. I know. It was him. It was Alim.  
  
Angles: I did see him coming out of the First Enchanter's office, on my way to breakfast.  
  
Loops: Are you sure it was him? The way you were rhapsodising about Lee's ass, I think your eyes were elsewhere.  
  
Angles: Oh, I know Crazypants when I see him. The way he stares. Walks like he's going to go right through the wall the minute you stop moving.  
  
Scrawl: I know Uldred's been trying to teach him the rest of Entropy. Not just the necromantic part. But, ~~he says~~ Uldred says even the necromancy is wrong. But, he spent yesterday lecturing Alim about not trying hard enough with the hexes and nightm--  
  
[There's a streak of ink down the rest of the page, like it was pulled away while still being written on, and the following lines are written around it.]  
  
Loops: Are you implying that the crazy elf made it up to the Enchanters' floor and cast a nightmare hex on Uldred, in the middle of the night? I don't think that's possible.  
  
Angles: If I hit you in the face, you can ask Wynne. You know she--  
  
[Another streak joins the first, at a different angle.]  
  
Loops: Or I could just ask Wynne.  
  
Angles: Or I could just punch you in the face.  
  
Scrawl: You two are gross and if you don't knock it off, one or the other of you is getting sent to Starkhaven.  
  
Angles: Or I could punch *you* in the face.  
  
Scrawl: My nightmares are better than Alim's. You don't *want* to.

* * *

23 Justinian, 9:14 Dragon

Enchanter Wynne:  
It has come to my attention that Enchanter Uldred no longer wishes to teach one of his apprentices. In light of the events leading up to this decision, I must agree. As you had previously expressed an interest in taking on Alim as an apprentice -- a request that I felt could not be granted, at the time, due to the specifics of his manifestation -- I will now return him to your care, entire. I realise, now, that your initial assessment was more correct that I credited it being.  
  
I hope I haven't overloaded you, but we'll see what we can do about getting some of the older apprentices Harrowed, so they're in a better position to serve as assistants, rather than students. Still, I have faith that you will be the one to turn this child into a proud member of our Circle, rather than the 'incarnate demon' the latest templar recruits believe him to be. And I don't have to tell you to watch for that. You, too, communicate with spirits, and I trust you to impart the dangers of dealing with demons in a way Uldred seemed to be unable to do.  
  
It has been a difficult couple of years, for all of us, and I cannot express how pleased I am that you are still with us, even after all of it -- that you haven't put in for a transfer to the Marches, after all this mayhem and uncertainty. Let me know if Alim gives you any trouble, and do try to keep him away from the young templars. The last thing we need is another incident.  
Thank you,  
First Enchanter Irving


	10. Spotlight: Niall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bookends on the career of our favourite dead Enchanter.

_From the report of Ser Morys, upon his return from Rossleigh, 9:08_ :

The boy's mother met us at the door, insisting that it was ridiculous to give her son something so dangerous, but we reassured her that just that tiny drop would do him no harm, if he wasn't a mage. But, what if he was, she wanted to know, and we said it still wouldn't hurt him, it would just make his magic obvious. But, this kid's mother was the mother any kid would want to have -- she just kept fighting the test. Understandably, maybe. I'd be spooked, too, if I suddenly found out my aunt was a mage and the templars had been sent to check out the rest of the family. But, as a templar, I understand the importance of finding these things early, before some poor kid burns down the house or hits the neighbour with lightning.  
  
I sat and talked with her, while Daryl chewed sarsaparilla bark and rolled his eyes. I can't blame him -- he's still young. He doesn't understand that sometimes, you have to make people feel better about saving themselves and their villages, because you have to take away someone they love to do it. I mean, most of the time, we're too late -- some kid fries all the fish in a pond, and we have to come clean up, and then they can't wait to get the kid out of town. When you show up early, it's harder. No one wants to believe it could happen to their family.  
  
The boy's father was a little more flippant -- so sure his son couldn't be a mage. 'Just a regular little boy,' he insisted, again and again. Though when they'd said they were going to test his wife, as well, he'd looked spooked.  
  
The mother finally agreed, not that she'd had to, but I don't like to force people into things in the name of the Chantry and the public good. It just makes them bitter and angry, no matter what the result is, and then they start telling stories. In a small town, where everyone already knows at least part of the story, the rest of it can turn a whole village against you.  
  
But, we tested her, first, and no surprise, there was nothing. I didn't think there would be -- a woman in her twenties, who'd grown up in the place she still lived? Someone would have noticed. The boy, though... Even though his mother was holding his hand and reassuring him it wouldn't hurt, he was scared of us. I promised him it was just a tiny drop -- nothing that would hurt him -- and I put a drop under my own tongue, just to prove it. A little extra lyrium's not going to hurt an old templar like me.  
  
Finally, he opened his mouth, and I put in the drop. I could see it happen -- his eyes lit up like he finally realised that freaky feeling in the back of his head meant something. And then the locusts descended like something out of Andraste's march on Tevinter. I've seen worse, but Daryl and the kid flipped out at about the same speed, and I had to get myself between them, before my man stabbed the boy or something.  
  
I told him it was amazing, and I tried to look impressed, even as the house filled up with bugs. I could've dropped a smite, but I hate opening with that. The kid'll learn what a smite is, soon enough. And it wouldn't have gotten rid of the bugs, either. I told him he should be excited, because he passed the test, and he could come with us to a magic school with other kids like him.  
  
His mother knew. I could see it in her face. She knew I was going to have to take him, no matter what, but I was trying to make it easier on them. I offered her my best apologetic look, when the kid glanced at his dad.  
  
The father was completely taken aback. He might've suspected his wife, from the way he'd looked at us earlier, but he'd never imagined it'd be his son. He asked us if we were sure, but he knew it was a stupid question -- I could see it on his face. And then he asked what he needed to do. I told him to pack a small bag -- a few favourite things, fresh clothes, maybe a treat -- and we'd take care of the rest. Daryl was already trying to chase the bugs out the door with the family's broom; he's got at least that much sense.  
  
I'll give the mother credit. I don't know how she managed not to cry, with her eyes filled up like that, but she smiled at the kid and told him he was special, and she was going to miss him, but that one day, he'd do great things with his power. She made him promise to send letters every week, so she could follow his studies and see how well he was doing. I thought it best not to mention that most letters to and from the tower never got where they were going.  
  
The kid was still scared, when we left, which I think is pretty healthy when you start shooting lightning out your ass or summoning plagues of locusts. I still tried to talk him down, convince him it was going to be a great adventure. Most kids are pretty into adventure. I think he'll fit right in, after a couple of weeks. Shouldn't be a problem.

* * *

  
_From a letter from First Enchanter Irving, 9:30_ :  
  
\-- While I understand your concerns, we do need someone to take Leorah's place, and among our mages, we have several who might fill the role admirably, but for some other issue -- Solona and Alim are too young, Anders frankly can't be trusted with more freedoms, and the only other notable choice is Valery. And I agree with Sweeney, as far as it may be from me to agree with Sweeney on anything else. Valery is extremely talented, but far too Orlesian for this place at this time, as well as far too dangerous, given the history of apostasy in his family and his talents for bribery. (And I've again offered him a transfer to somewhere he'd have a better chance at advancement, but he declines to leave us.)  
  
And so, in all honesty, the choice is Niall. I realise you disagree with this decision so soon after Leofric's advancement, that you fear we are filling the ranks with middling talent, but mages such as these lay the groundwork for the youngest of our charges. They may never rise to the senior ranks, but by then, there will be others who can -- I have an eye on Solona for that, certainly, but not just now. Leofric, again, raised enough eyebrows with his age, but death makes for sudden advancement. I wish to put Solona in Sweeney's path, when the time comes, and she will surely rise above these two, then.  
  
I have thought and rethought this decision, and I will not do so again. This decision will become final, once the enchanters have their vote, and you may voice your dissent then -- perhaps you will stop the appointment, but I do not think so. Niall is the favourite, even with his Isolationist views, because he is dependable and predictable. Things we need in this age of Remille's legacy, perhaps more than ever before. 


	11. Spotlight: Ser Peryn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of notes left throughout Peryn's life.

_From the notes of First Enchanter Silke of Hossberg, 9:10:_  
The healers kept Enchanter Franka heavily sedated during the birth. Though we are all sympathetic to her case, there is no place for a baby in Hossberg Circle. The boy will be brought to the Chantry, and one day, he may return to us. We tell her that one day, maybe he will be just a man, and go on to take his place in the city, but it is not the child she misses, it is Barend, who was chosen to go to Weisshaupt. He will not return, and after this, I do not know if she will recover well enough to follow. It is the way of Wardens, as it is the way here, to shun the things we as Anders hold so dear, so that none but ourselves are harmed when one day, inevitably, we lose the eternal battle. Barend and Franka are a sad example of why this is so.

* * *

* * *

_From the annual records of the Hossberg Cathedral's orphanage:_

**9:15**  
The boy was brought to us by the templars, and for a time, we feared he too might turn, like so many before him, but he seems to have resisted the magic that must have been his mother's. They tell us nothing, so we will have no prejudice to the children, but everyone knows a child brought by the templars had a mage mother.  
  
I think, one day, maybe young Peryn will become one of the Brothers. He has a kind hand and a good heart, always smiling and quick to help. He is far too sweet and gentle, I think, for a templar's duties.

* * *

**9:18**

'Do not let him in,' young Peryn insisted, speaking of a Mage-Warden come to pray, in a group of other wardens. He told us the other Wardens were fine, that the other Mage-Warden was like Andraste to gaze upon, but Warden Barend had some taint upon him.  
  
I spoke to the Lieutenant, who informed me that Warden Barend was here to ask the Maker's forgiveness for what he'd had to do, to save a village in the Blightlands. It isn't generally like Wardens, even here, to take their troubles to town, but Barend insisted that he must bring himself before the Grand Cleric, in the Cathedral, even if he could speak to none but the Maker himself of what had happened. I have never seen a man look so haunted, and I can only imagine it was the look in his eyes that Peryn was interpreting as some evil.

* * *

**9:20**

Peryn is at an age where he has taken 'students' of his own from among the children, teaching them to be brave and strong, not to fight among themselves. He is still a child, himself, but he has an air about him that lets them listen to him, even when the Sisters can't bring peace. He will be an excellent teacher, one day, and we will be lucky to have him.

* * *

**9:27**

We were not going to offer him the choice, but Peryn demanded to be permitted a templar's training. I believed it to be a waste, and that in a year or two, he would turn his back on it and return to the contemplative life. But, his insistence has brought him straight through, with a firm hand and a heart I still imagine is too kind for this work. But, no one can turn him, and he must serve the Maker in his own way.

* * *

* * *

_From the journal of Senior Enchanter Franka of Hossberg, 9:28:_  
Ser Peryn has been with us some months, now, and the young apprentices adore him. He pretends to be a darkspawn and lets them practise their spells on him, with the help of some of the Enchanters to ensure they can't actually hurt him -- he's definitely a favourite. When Briaus asked if he was sure he'd be able to strike them down, if they fell to demons, I heard he told Briaus that he would do anything necessary to free them, including strike them dead. One day, that simple caring will hurt him more than any spell, but for now, it is good to have a templar who does not frighten the children.  
  
Sometimes, I think he looks like Barend, when he explains something serious, but then he smiles again, and it's gone. I wonder what happened, sometimes, but it wouldn't be this. Nevarra, probably. Somewhere, I have a child serving the Maker. A daughter, I hope. A Revered Mother, by now. I hope she looks even more like Barend than this young templar.

* * *

* * *

_A recommendation from Knight-Captain Marijn, 9:31:_  
[...] I realise he's young, Commander, but we need someone new on the river. Johannes is getting too old to make the ride, any more, and I believe Peryn will be an excellent choice, once he proves he can handle the route. Look at how easy he is with the apprentices, and how well they trust him to keep them safe -- this is what we want on the river route. He can bring in young mages who are still smiling, when they arrive. Imagine that! It is not that Johannes has ever been poor at his duty, but I believe Peryn could be even better. He has a sense for these things, I think. Magic doesn't make him uncomfortable, and he loves children.  
  
Let him ride out with Johannes on the next circuit, and he'll prove it to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The First Enchanter of Hossberg is Briaus, as of 9:40 Dragon. And he used to be the Grand Enchanter, until Fiona replaced him. And HR and I kinda kicked that around a bit, trying to figure out when he'd have taken the post of First Enchanter and then Grand Enchanter, which given what happens in Montsimmard would mean he'd give up the post of First Enchanter to take the promotion, rather than managing both at once, so I'm making an executive decision, here, about Hossberg. *throws up hands*


	12. Spotlight: Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of notes on Candles, a mage of Kinloch Hold.

_In a vault in the cathedral at Denerim, among the records of templars sent off for rest and recovery:_  
We brought the girl in from Denerim, after some shit that started with her striking the 'sacred tree' in the Alienage with lightning. The elves were some kind of religiously upset about all that. Tree-worshippers. I guess that's what you get with knife-ears. They say they thought it was just the storm, so they didn't report it to us, like they're supposed to. Elves just think they don't have to follow the rules like the rest of us. But then she got pissed, when the guard came looking for some whore said to be stealing at the Pearl, and three of the Denerim guard had to be treated for severe burns. The fourth died. She _says_ they were going to do something bad to her friend's mother, but you know what elves are like, and the kids are even worse. Friend must've been neither fish nor knife-ear, to judge from the whore's kids. Round ears on all of them. I hope she doesn't think they'll be human under the law.  
  
The witch's parents looked like they might fight, but the rest of the elves held them off. Smart, for elves. I'd guess half of them were still pissed about the tree and the other half knew we'd cut down anyone who tried to stop us doing our Maker-given duty. It's not like they could do anything about it. We've got proper laws in Denerim to keep the knife-ears in their place, and a smite took care of any more of that lightning shit.  
  
Anyway, she's your problem, now. You want my opinion, you make her Tranquil, now, and save the trouble later. Why waste your time, when you can get more hands to do the washing? It's what the Maker gave us knife-ears for, isn't it?  
  
_Attached to the bottom of the page:_  
I recommend removing Ser Gwythen from service. His opinions reflect poorly on the Order and the Chantry itself, and Denerim is already roiling toward a rebellion. The last thing needed is a representative of the public good inciting it.  
\-- Knight-Commander Greagoir, Kinloch Hold.

* * *

  
Anwen is definitely spirited, and her love of competition pushes her to work harder and faster, if not always smarter, than the rest of my students. She seems sure that she can beat the secrets out of the Elemental schools by throwing herself into them until they submit. I have put in for a private practise room, because this cannot go on in the library. She will learn, in time, but not because we have taught her otherwise. She will learn only by experiencing her own failures.  
  
Perhaps unsurprisingly for an apprentice of her age, she pursues the destructive arts with great vigour. I hold out hope that she can learn to use these skills for other purposes, but she will need to be presented with opportunities to do so -- lighting candles, cooling drinks, weeding the greenhouse, shaping seats, the usual minor tests for apprentices with innate elemental skills.  
\-- _A note from Enchanter Leorah, regarding a new apprentice_

* * *

  
_Scribbled on the back of a practise room safety sheet:_  
Look, you'll kill yourself doing it like that. Trust me. I'd know. Pull it down before it reaches the ends of your fingers, and don't aim with your eyes, aim with your arm.  
  
_Below it, in narrow back-angled letters:_  
Says the guy who set the infirmary on fire. And the kitchen, the dungeons, the observatory, three meeting rooms, a practise room, the dorms, and a bunch of shit I haven't heard about, I'm sure.  
  
_Scribbled:_  
That's why I know.

* * *

  
_A full page of narrow back-angled lines:_  
I will not see how many templars I can strike with a properly forked bolt, even if it does make a halo around their helmets.  
I will not see how many templars I can strike with a properly forked bolt, even if it does make a halo around their helmets.  
I will not see how many templars I can strike with a properly forked bolt, even if it does make a halo around their helmets.  
[...]

* * *

  
I may have misjudged both her talent and her lust for glory. As one of Anwen's final tests of control, we asked that she light one of the grand chandeliers, expecting she would set each flame individually, with fire. Instead, she managed to strike every wick at once with lightning, in a crack of thunder that echoed through the entire tower. It took nearly a quarter candle to calm the templars and assure them that she had simply found a more creative solution to the examination. Other students, impressed with the glamrous and frankly nearly-impossible display, have begun to call her 'Candles'. I suspect this is the closest she has been to most of them, since she arrived. In all honesty, I cannot say I blame her.  
\-- _A note from Enchanter Leorah_

* * *

  
_In curled, flowing script on a page shoved unevenly into a book on the ancient Tevinter spas of the Hunterhorn Basin:_  
You had an eye on Valoren, once. Your thoughts on Candles?  
  
_In an angular scrawl, below it:_  
Valery, you're almost thirty. I don't think she's even twenty, yet. Nothing's our age, but Anders, remember? Unless you want to make nice with Mummy's Boy.  
  
_The script takes on a different angle, and if one could convey a dismissive sigh from the shape of the letters alone, this would be it:_  
Not for me, for you.  
  
_The scrawl becomes sharper and darker:_  
There's no such thing, and I'm not that much younger.  
  
The curls of the script become smooth and precise:  
Of course. I keep forgetting that.  
  
[The note ends with a thick splash of ink that has chipped off, where the paper is folded.]

* * *

  
_A torn corner of a larger sheet, bearing the ends of several lines:_  
_In an angular scrawl:_  
\-- if you could do it.  
  
_In narrow, back-angled letters:_  
\-- poncy Orlesian --  
\-- tell him I'll --  
\-- up his ass!  
  
_Angular scrawl:_  
\-- as a no.

* * *

  
_In narrow, back-angled letters:_  
Hey moon-eyes, by the 7:4 in Sto Rec 390 second bell?  
  
_In irregular, rounded letters:_  
??? Who am I passing this to?  
  
_Back-angled:_  
Don't play stupid, it makes you less attractive.

* * *

  
Kinnon knows better, but in the wake of what has happened, here I am inclined toward leniency, for now. His affairs are never long, and she is much too wild for him. A few concussions with only Finn's help, and he'll be back to his senses. I do not think Anwen takes him seriously enough that they will need to be separated. Not yet. In the wake of this tragedy, we must heal ourselves, first, and then re-establish order, gently.  
\-- remarks from First Enchanter Irving, late summer 9:30.

* * *

  
_Found tied to a sprig of elfroot left on a crumbled outer wall of Kinloch Hold, after the 9:38 cave-in, written in narrow, back-angled letters:_  
         In memory of  
    Senior Enchanter Leorah  
 8:87 Blessed - 9:30 Dragon  
We were never just knife-ears


	13. Spotlight: Leofric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of small insights into the Enchanter we're mostly glad is dead.

_A letter found in a woman's estate as it was packed to return to her daughter:_  
2 Drakonis 9:06  
[...] Mother, I tell you, it takes all my will not to rattle the boy some days. He's a little terror! Wynnstan wasn't like this! But, Leofric won't stop slapping everything that moves, and if it stops moving then he puts it in his mouth! We thought he'd grow out of it, once he had a name, but it's just gotten worse! The wind shakes the herbs in the yard? Slaps it and eats it. The moths come to the candles? Slaps it and eats it. And Wynnstan plays with him like he's a dog, shaking strips of meat and bits of cloth at him. The Maker only knows what we'll do when he gets big enough to--  
  
[The letter is interrupted by a rounded charcoal line, like the writer dropped the stick she was writing with and it rolled.]  
  
He's eaten a mouse. I'll write next week.  
With love,  
Wassige

* * *

* * *

_From a report delivered with a new mage in 9:09:_  
This one's a weird one. The kid's got a history of hitting things -- people, animals, plants, rocks, whatever he could reach, according to his mother. The village says they always knew there was something wrong with him, but this was the last thing they expected. Mother says she considered giving him to the Chantry about twice a year. Might have saved some trouble if she had, poor thing.  
  
Family thought someone hexed them, because the kid kept punching people. Turns out it's actually the kid. Entropy is subtle in so many manifestations. This one, too. Little things -- stuff getting lost, people getting lost, milk spoiling, waves of sickness, accidents -- but no matter what, the kid stayed healthy. Weirdly healthy, too, like the worse the people around him got, the better he looked. By the time the Mother in the local chantry sent for us, the boy had become uncontrollable, and he was believed to be possessed by a demon. We came prepared, but found only a young mage who was not expecting the smite we laid upon him, and the way he could suddenly be harmed in more than quick splashes.  
  
Of course, we found him over what I understand to be the weather-cured corpse of a neighbour's ram, said to have been alive and well that morning, and the boy showed no sign of having eaten of the flesh of it, though he acted as if he'd just had a good meal.  
  
A couple quick swats and a binding of his hands gave him something to think about, and proved he was not, as they'd feared, an abomination. As out of control as he was, if there'd been a demon, it would've made itself known at that spanking. I expect he just needs some proper discipline, which this town cannot be expected to provide. His parents seemed grateful to be rid of him, and his siblings hid themselves in the house until we were far enough up the road the house could no longer be seen.  
  
Just remember, this one's going to need to be reminded he's not all-powerful, a few times.  
\-- Ser Aleyn

* * *

* * *

_From First Enchanter Arden's notes on an incident on the third floor, 9:09:_  
The new apprentice seems skilled in Entropy, but it appears that is not all he manifested, and Sweeney and Uldred came to blows over his disposition, today. Uldred put forth the point that he does handle the disposition and most of the training of apprentices specialising in Entropy, but Sweeney counterargued that the new boy had demonstrated an innate skillset comparable to ancient descriptions of a particular variety of warrior mage, bringing the focus to combat training, rather than hexes and nightmares.  
  
I understand it was Sweeney who struck the first blow, perhaps unsurprisingly, even for a man of his age, as he is, in fact, the last trainer of the combatant arts we have, the need having faded since the end of the Fourth Blight. And then after that accident, with Bergin... We have had no students for him, and he is the last of Bergin's charges still living. Of course, we will not bring back the ill-fated general weapons training, but perhaps there is less harm in letting him have a single student, after all these years. Should another Blight come, we cannot afford have lost all the arts passed down from the last, particularly as combating the Blight is the only genuine reason we are permitted to live.  
  
I will need to break the news gently to Uldred, though he is hardly lacking in students. Every student given to another enchanter seems a slight.

* * *

* * *

_From the journals of Senior Enchanter Sweeney:_  
12 Firstmere 9:09 Dragon  
The magebane has made him listen, though Leofric still eats like a little animal, tearing at his food with his hands and cramming it into his mouth. At least now he eats to the extent a boy his age should, instead of leaching his sustenance from the other students, though I find he is better behaved on a diet mostly of meat. I took him on a tour of the Tranquil forge, this week, and put to him that he had a choice -- to learn to behave as a proper mage in service to the Chantry or to become an inevitably obedient servant to that same Chantry's whims. I suggested he might prefer the power to make decisions. I anticipate he will make the correct choice, and once he has come to understand the world without magic, it will be time to train him to control his and use it to the benefit of his allies.

* * *

27 Guardian 9:10 Dragon  
He is coming to understand that using magic against his peers is frowned upon, and the retaliation is quick and brutal. I have encouraged him to hunt the rodents in the walls, if he feels the urge to practise his innate skills. Someone has to do something about the rats' nests made of ancient texts, before the library loses any more irreplaceable volumes to the little beasts. The cats have helped, but Leofric can reach where they can not. He is beginning to grasp that I am not an adversary, but a teacher who will lead him to better control and more interesting magics. We have begun to work well, together, and I hold great hope for his talents.

* * *

* * *

_Infirmary log, Drakonis 9:14 Dragon_  
Valery declines to elaborate on how he received his injuries, but the students who brought him in suggest he proposed something sexual to Sweeney's boy. I suppose they are coming to that age. None of the damage appears to have been magical, which is a relief in general and twice the relief with that one. I would hate to think he could be angered into his old ways, but Sweeney has done a good job with him. Valery, on the other hand, is still an obnoxious and inappropriate child who seems to believe anything can be solved by offering rare wine and glass. I hesitate to suggest he is entirely wrong, but I doubt his particular wiles will serve him with Leofric, and I can only hope he is more cautious what comes out of his mouth, in the future.

* * *

  
_In a ragged, angular scrawl:_  
Wanna talk to you, Orlais.  
  
_In a curled, flowing script:_  
Have you reconsidered my offer?  
  
_Angular scrawl:_  
Thought about it _all_ night long. Didn't get less gross. But, you're pretty smart, right?  
  
_Flowing script:_  
And I'm not even boring. I'd be even smarter if they'd give me the books I care about.  
  
_Angular scrawl:_  
Yeah I don't know about boring. You might be. But you want something and I want something, and I think we can make a trade.  
  
_Flowing script:_  
So you have reconsidered my offer, however disgusting you find the idea, and you're willing to make me an offer anyway.  
  
_Angular scrawl:_  
No, but I can stop Connall throwing you down the stairs.  
  
_Flowing script:_  
You make a convincing argument. See me tomorrow, and I'll have an answer.

* * *

* * *

 

 _Correspondence found in the First Enchanter's desk, when Torrin took the post:_  
  
I don't like it. They're colluding. Send the Orlesian back to Orlais and the other to Perendale or something. This can't be safe! Not in general and especially not with those two! You should have let me teach him, and we wouldn't be having this problem!  
\-- Enchanter Uldred  
  
If you had taught him, Uldred, we would have a completely different problem, and you know it. Sweeney has done an excellent job with Leofric, who actually smiles, talks to people, and eats with a fork, now, in addition to having excellent control of skills we haven't seen in combination in my entire time in this tower. Your work is excellent, and let it never be said otherwise, but I believe Arden was correct when he noted that the focus on Entropy you tend to offer may not have been the best approach -- that it may not have led to Leofric eating _food_ , like the rest of us.  
  
Has it occurred to you that aside from Anders, he and Valery are the most difficult and unlikely cases we have, and that they are keeping each others' attention off of anyone else, for the time being. I should not need to remind you how essential that is, when it comes to Leofric, regardless of his poor talent for anything outside his innate gifts. Those are devastating enough. Really, they haven't caused nearly the strife together that they did apart, though I may have Wynne make a public statement about not assaulting other apprentices in the halls. Not that they're precisely the cause, but it is no longer Valery, and only Valery, who is ending up worse for these fights. I had hoped a few brawls would put a stop to that, but it seems to have encouraged rather than discouraged fisticuffs.  
  
I might even venture that their distrust and cunning make both incredibly likely to trade each others' secrets to stay out of trouble, not that either of them has gotten into enough of it, since they began working together, to be worth applying that pressure. I have no doubt in my mind that Valery's innate mercenary nature is completely exploitable and that keeping him close to either Leofric or Anders can only help us. ~~His relationship with Anders, though, remains somewhat... impersonal. Unsurprising, really, given the way they both keep secrets.~~  
  
Still, there is no doubt in my mind that neither Leofric nor Valery is a significant threat to the safety of this tower, nor are either of them proof against a solid smite, which Sweeney assures me will take most of the natural edge off of Leofric, if you had concerns.  
\--First Enchanter Irving

* * *

* * *

 

 _Part of a proposal given by Senior Enchanter Sweeney, in 9:29:_  
I have proposed Leofric as an Enchanter, to ensure that his unusual skills and mine continue to pass down the generations of this Circle. I realise that many of you harbour some incertitude with regard to my apprentice, due to his unruly and dangerous beginnings with us, but all that was ever needed was to give him control and a sense of purpose. He has had no accidents with his magic in nearly fifteen years, which is more than I can say for some other mages of his age, or even mine!  
  
But, I am the last teacher of the combatant arts in Ferelden, and three Blights yet remain before us. This Circle -- all Circles -- were created to combat the Blight, and it would be remiss not to ensure these arts are not lost to the passage of time. It falls to me, then, to attempt to raise my only living student to succeed me, to enable him to carry on the work of my master and his before him. Though you may think he is not the best student I might have had, it remains that he is my only student, and thus it falls to him to carry the torch.

* * *

* * *

Wintermere 9:30  
Do not send Enchanter Leofric to Ostagar. Though he may yet show his skill against darkspawn, let us ensure this is a true Blight. Let us also ensure he has the time to train as many apprentices as possible in the basics of his art, that we are not sending him in alone. I should have started sooner, but none of us expected this day to come in our lifetimes.  
\-- First Enchanter Irving


	14. Spotlight: Kinnon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fragments of the history of the whiffiest of mages.

_From the report of Knight-Lieutenant Osric, 9:10 Dragon:_  
We were on our way to meet a lyrium shipment out of Orzammar, and escort it down to the Tower. Just a routine pickup. But, we stopped off for lunch in Oswin, which is barely even a wide spot in the road -- farms stretching on for miles on either side, but nearly no town to speak of besides the pub and market by the keep. And as we came through the market, there was this boy hassling the horses, who seemed much more patient than any horses I'd ever seen about the whole thing, but Ser Jerret's armour creaked just wrong and spooked one. When the horse reared, we all ran for the kid, but none of us could get there fast enough, and Jerret was already apologising as the hooves came down and skated off something that wasn't there. The kid looked stunned, the horses still looked spooked, and we all looked around for the mage.  
  
Took us a moment or five to figure out it was the kid. A couple of sweets and a quick smite, and we took him to Orzammar with us. Sure, I could have sent him back with Jerret or Mishra, but it seemed more important to have all my men, going into the mountains. Gherlen's Pass usually has bandits, and the last thing we need is bandits selling lyrium to apostates.  
  
And sure enough, like they knew we were coming, we signed off on the delivery and rented a cart to haul it back, and as soon as we were out of the market and into the pass, bandits. And they knew what we were carrying, too. And right about then, the kid's last dose of magebane must've worn off, and that is entirely my fault, but I have never been so glad to have a mage as when he freaked out and knocked out half the bandits at once. Of course he also hit our driver, but we weren't going anywhere until we dealt with the bandits, first.  
  
Mishra carried the boy on his shoulders the whole way back to the tower, and not a word I said would dissuade him. He convinced young Kinnon to tell him all about horses for two whole days, much to the lasting dismay of the rest of the team.  
  
I'll accept any reprimand you see fit for my choices on this mission.  
\-- Ser Osric

* * *

  
_From the notes of First Enchanter Irving, 9:11 Dragon:_  
Apprentice Kinnon has not spoken in months, not since the king was here. He has nightmares, still, probably about the darkspawn, and recently has taken to fainting at the slightest hint of blood, which is unsurprising, given where we found him, after all was said and done. If there is one fear I doubt we need have, it is that he will ever be able to become a blood mage. Still, I question the wisdom of leaving him as one of Wynne's students -- the healers are always surrounded with blood and bleeding, and it may not be wise to expose him to more. Torrin may be a better choice, for now while he is still young.  
  
_Later that year:_  
We have transferred Kinnon back into Wynne's care. Although he may see more blood in her presence, he will already be in the infirmary, when he inevitably faints. The numerous head injuries he no doubt will continue to endure should be treated quickly and with as little disruption as possible, in the future.

* * *

  
_Found in the records of Kinloch Hold, during the move to Redcliffe, dated 9:20:_  
Apprentice Kinnon shows no small talent in the protective arts. He came to us with a predilection for spirit spells, primarily those focused on preventing, rather than causing, harm, and he seems to have moved on to great talents in stone, as well, producing armour, shields, and great walls of rock, when he feels threatened. Still, he has never struck out at another person -- not mages, templars, or the tranquil. He seems safe, but I would hold his Harrowing until he stops jumping at shadows. I do not fear that he will be lured by demons, but I do fear he may die of terror if he is approached by one.  
\-- Irving  
  
_Scrawled across the bottom:_  
The boy's an idiot, but harmless. I won't be surprised if he chooses Tranquility, long before you call his Harrowing.  
\-- G.

* * *

  
_From infirmary logs, 9:24 Dragon:_  
Regardless of what they might have had to say for themselves, I have an absolute certainty about what brought six apprentices to the infirmary, in the course of four hours, for 'unspecified chafing or inexplicable rash'. All six have been advised to use a great deal more lubricant and not to engage in such activities with anyone but themselves, up to and including each other. I have also advised against the use of particular vegetables for anything other than eating, after last week's broken cucumber incident.  
  
I admit, I was somewhat surprised to see Kinnon among their number, and given the look of him, I doubt I'll be seeing him for this or any related problems, in the future. I have rarely seen quite that level of revulsion on a man his age in a situation that didn't involve necromancy. Or at least I genuinely hope it didn't, given what I can be sure they didn't tell me.

* * *

  
_From a report by Ser Bran, 9:30 Dragon:_  
In my usual rounds, I noted young Ser Cullen firmly holding by the door of a room that should have been unused. He insisted he'd been ordered to allow no one into the room, but he had no idea why. I suspect he might have been lying, but I do not doubt that one of his superiors might have set him to guard some unseemly situation. Notably, I did spot Anders in the library, but that does not make me feel any better about what might have been going on behind that door.

* * *

  
_Scrawled on a scrap of paper tucked into a book on stoneshaping:_  
Thanks, Red. Don't worry about the damage. I've got this one. He'll never remember your face.

* * *

  
_A memo, tucked into the First Enchanter's files, 9:30_  
Any fears we had of Kinnon being unable to pass his Harrowing were clearly ill-founded. In the wake of what has happened, here, I put forth that he be tested at the first opportunity during which we can be moderately certain there will be no accidents. I would bring Kinnon to the top of the list, as he is the oldest apprentice still living, and he has proven himself in combat against demons far more powerful than we would bring for a Harrowing. If there are issues, let them be with him. I am more than certain he can handle himself.  
  
_At the bottom, a short exchange:_  
I guess he didn't beg for Tranquility after all. -- G.  
  
You owe me the fourth volume of the collected works of Callistus of Taraevyn, and I don't care who you have to justify that to. -- I.

* * *

  
_From a wadded up letter found in a rubbish pile, in the ruins of Haven, 9:41:_  
Solona:  
Haha, never thought I'd have a reason to write your name, but I guess Anders knows where to find you. You'll never believe who I ran into! You know how you said that templar would never remember my face? Funny story, that's not the only thing he remembers...


	15. Spotlight: Jowan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes on the life of everyone's favourite blood mage.

**A letter from Mother Petronilla of Highever. Haring, 9:14.**  
  
Knight-Commander:  
We have a young boy who was left on the steps, here, and I have cause to believe he would be better served in your keeping than ours. The initiates have complained of constant exhaustion, since he appeared, and several other orphans sleep almost constantly, now. You understand my concerns, obviously.  
  
He says his name is Jowan, and he wants to go home -- a common wish among our children -- but he can't because he 'made his mummy sad' and she called him -- now, he can't say the word properly, but I'm relatively sure it's 'abomination', which ... again, sounds a bit more like your forte than mine. He may take a while to settle, as he seems younger than most of the children you wind up with, and he keeps saying he wants to apologise, so his mother will take him back.  You and I both know these cases rarely end so easily, particularly where these sorts of things are concerned.  
  
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, he is too young to know where he came from, and cannot tell us the names of his parents, so we cannot locate or contact them about his disposition. He is, effectively, orphaned, regardless of whether that is the actual case, and the only people you will have to deal with are my own, and the Sisters and I will be happy to see him taken into proper care of the sort we simply can not offer, here.  
  
Do let Enchanter Sweeney know we will be sending a box of cakes for First Day. Sister Tybbota was so pleased with his effusive praise of her apple cake that she means to send double. Let us know how many you are, so we can be sure we send enough.  
  
May the Maker's light brighten your way,  
Mother Petronilla

* * *

  
**A note from Enchanter Amelet, 9:17.**  
  
Young Jowan cries nearly constantly, but this is not unexpected with an apprentice of his age. He wants very much to go home, but as we keep reminding him, this is his home now. Still, he's very difficult to keep in lessons, as the more upset he becomes, the wider the range of people around him who cannot find the strength to sit up or keep their eyes open. When he is reminded to hold his magic, however, it turns off almost instantly and he squirms like a child who needs to pee.  
  
He is, though, his own harshest critic. Older students have often found him concealed in corners, cursing and slapping himself, reciting things like 'You have to make it stop so daddy will come get you.' and 'Mummy would love you if you tried harder.' Confronting him about these quiet outbursts seems only to make them worse. Reminders that he is still young and that all new students struggle are met with incredulous looks, as if he is somehow different and to be held to a higher standard.

* * *

  
**A note included in the First Enchanter's records, 9:25.**  
  
Apprentice Jowan has made considerable steps forward, in his time under my tutelage. However, the boy still struggles with basic elemental tests -- his power and focus are wonderful, but his aim would be improved if one tied his hand to a blind mabari. I do not believe he will pass his core elementals, and I intend to keep him studying with the younger students, on those.  
  
His self control is a far step from when he arrived, though, and he casts no spells without intent, which is a relief to those around him, to say the least. Though, as has been noted in the past, students of Entropy do get more and better sleep than those of any other school, if only because their classmates do not have the sort of control Jowan is able to exercise.  
  
It is far too early to speculate, but I believe he may be a candidate for a delayed Harrowing. Perhaps not so delayed as Apprentice Kinnon, but ... I would not set the boy against demons, if he can't manage his elementals. Still, one day he will be an exceptional practitioner of the entropic arts. He just needs a little time.  
\-- Senior Enchanter Uldred

* * *

  
**A note found holding a page in a book on theoretical applications of electrical spells.**  
  
_Back-slanted angular writing:_  
This idiot. Did you hear? Watch him. He's not going to pass his tests. Even I'm better at fire than he is. Anders is better at fire than he is.  
  
_Irregular, rounded hand:_  
Anders is actually really good at fire.  
  
_Angular_ :  
Anders is really good at setting his ass on fire, you mean. Point is he's -- Ha. I said. Missed the candles entirely and caught the curtains.  
  
_Irregular:_  
Poor bastard.

* * *

  
**A confession found tucked into Captain Hadley's file.**  
  
I'm sorry, ser. During the mayhem, I rallied all the templars I could wake, and sent half of them out after Jowan, and the other half to hold, here, against any other attempts. I didn't think to make them take off their helmets, before I sent them out, and I didn't check under the beds. Whatever piece of me you'll have for that, you may have to fight Rylock for. She's none too pleased her pet project's gotten out again, on the tails of this maleficar. And Ser Gyllam's none too pleased it took hours to find himself under the bed, but that's his own fault for drinking so hard, I'm sure. I'll have him scrubbing the privies for this, whatever you see fit to hang me with, as it's Gyllam's armour Anders made off with.  
  
Two in a day! Val Royeaux's going to have us out for it, no matter how we spin it. We'll get them back, though. Anders always ends up back and Jowan's never struck me as the most forward thinking sort. Shouldn't take a week.

* * *

  
**A scrap left behind in rooms occupied by Loghain's troops, in Denerim.**  
  
[...] aware of the dangers involved in this decision. They were an intentional aspect of my choice:   
  
One maleficar, if found, would be easily handled by templars posted at the local Chantry. And who would believe his story? No, I believe it is more likely that his presence will serve to further discredit to the Guerrins. 'Harbouring an apostate' is a serious charge, in these times. And the dangers of doing so will be self-evident, hopefully, by that point.  
  
Do not concern yourself with this, tempting though it may be. There are threats far more pertinent than one maleficar sent south[...]  
\-- L.

* * *

  
**A letter sent from Kirkwall to Wycome.**  
  
Dearest Dionysia,  
We will be together again, soon. I did not think I could escape the darkspawn, when they overran our village -- you, smart woman, were already on a ship from the moment you heard of the armies moving south, and I should have gone with you! But, a kind young man called Levyn helped a group of us make it up to Amaranthine, where I caught the first ship out.  
  
They will not let us into the city, in Kirkwall -- too many people, they say -- but none of the ships will pick up passengers bound for other cities. They are all headed back to Ferelden, to bring more of us away from the Blight. It is a real Blight, they're saying.  
  
Levyn didn't come with us. He said he had to go back for more people. I hope he survives. If anyone deserves it, in these times, he does.  
  
I'll be with you just as soon as I can get out of Kirkwall. Or into Kirkwall.  
  
All my love,  
Hamond

* * *

  
**At the bottom of an order for a rune.**  
  
_In a thin script:_  
Geese? Are you sure this is right?  
  
_In tall, narrow letters:_  
The guy said he was a farmer. Wants to do something special for his wife's nameday. Can't really put geese in a box.  
  
_Thin script:_  
Does he even know how summoning works? We don't make geese! Every other farmer in the village is going to kill him!  
  
_Narrow letters:_  
Yeah, but that's his problem, not ours. Gave him the standard contract: all liability for use of the rune is on him. We just promise it'll work.  
  
[The order is marked completed and delivered.]

* * *

  
**A letter found blown under a desk in the foyer guardpost of Aeonar.**  
  
Dear Lily,  
I know you'll never get this letter. I'll probably get to you first, and if I don't, they'll find it on my body. And... probably won't give it to you.  
  
I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything. I never meant this to happen this way -- obviously. I thought maybe you'd denounce me, and they'd send you back to the monastery for a while, and it would all wind up fine, in the end. I mean, really, I thought you'd grab my hand and we'd run off into the sunset, together, but that's never been you, and I should've realised. I just didn't know what else to do! You're not even a mage! I don't know how they decided you were due for Aeonar. But, here we are, and I'm still trying to fix this.  
  
I know this is all my fault. I know you're probably still pretty pissed at me. I hope you're still alive. I can't give back your life, but maybe I can give you a life at all. One where you get to make your own decisions. I got that, and you didn't, and it's not fair at all.  
  
All my love,  
Jowan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Footnotes
> 
>   * Canonically, Jowan's implied to be a little older than the Warden, but we dicked around with Surana and Amell's ages enough that Jowan comes out a little younger. We've placed his birth late in 9:09, in Highever, in accordance with the Toolset's note on his age. There's no indication where he's from, canonically, and it would be unsurprising, given that he says he was 'five or six' when he was taken, if he has no idea where he's originally from. Consider this well-researched mostly canon-compliant bullshit.
> 

> 
>  
> 
> ### Sources
> 
>   * World of Thedas 2, 109-110
>   * Origins dialogue files:
>     * arl210cr_jowan.dlg
>     * bhm100_jowan.dlg
>     * r_pln_jowan.dlg
>     * urn230_jowan.dlg
> 



	16. The Tevinter Calendar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'The Tevinter Calendar' from _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

The oldest calendar still in use is the Tevinter calendar, which persists throughout the human nations -- that is, the groups that subscribe to the idea of 'nationhood' -- though the names of the months have been changed by the Chantry, outside the Imperium. Each month is thirty days in length, giving a year of three hundred and sixty days. The months seem to be named for signs of the seasons, and the meaning of each, where I could determine it, is noted below the list. The calendar starts on the first day of spring, in Minrathous, insofar as Minrathous could be said to have a 'spring'.

  1.     Verimensis
  2.     Pluitanis
  3.     Nubulis
  4.     Eluviesta
  5.     Molioris
  6.     Ferventis
  7.     Solis
  8.     Matrinalis
  9.     Parvulis
  10.     Frumentum
  11.     Umbralis
  12.     Cassus



The year begins, reasonably enough, with the 'Spring Month'. Which is hilarious, when you consider there's not really a 'spring' in Tevinter, so much as there's 'four months of pissing and flooding'. In fact, those rains really begin in the second month, which is called the month of rain (Pluitanis), conveniently enough. This is followed by the month of clouds (Nubulis) and the month of flooding (Eluviesta). It's a wonderfully agriculturally-relevant calendar, so far.

The fifth month, is the month of labour and construction, which makes a certain sense, since it sits between the floods and Ferventis, the month of extreme heat, a 'feverish' month. It's not a month you really want to be visiting Tevinter, to say the least, nor is 'Solis', which might be the month of the sun. Solis, however, is an odd one. Notably, it may not be a Tevene word, but a poorly-spelled Elvish one -- 'Solas', the month of 'pride'. An interesting choice for an empire that came to span nearly an entire continent, stealing anything our people failed to fasten sufficiently securely and destroying anything they couldn't move. This would not, however, be the first word to pass in this fashion, in either direction. This month aligns, of course, with the seventh month of the Orlesian calendar (I'll get to that in another chapter), which kept the sound of the word, but not its meaning, giving the Andrastian nations the month of 'Solace', which is a very different concept, either way.

Matrinalis, Parvulis, and Frumentum are the growing cycle of the cowpea plant, a staple of Tevinter living. During these months before the air becomes moist, again, grain fields are planted with cowpeas, which provide food for all classes, from the beans, and for livestock as well, from the stems and leaves. The cowpeas also prepare the soil for the regular planting season, by restoring it and keeping it loose. The names of the months seem to indicate that two and a half to three month growing cycle, as well. 'Matrinalis' is something 'of the mother' or possibly 'of the matron'. Either way it would be the month in which the cowpeas are planted, which is certainly some... vivid imagery. 'Parvulis', the month of young children, is the growing month, and 'Frumentum', 'grain', is the month of the harvest. (That's not even the month of grain, that's just 'grain'.)

Umbralis is the month of shade, when things start to cool down a bit, and by 'cool down', we mean lovely early summer temperatures of inland Ferelden and Orlais. And then comes the aptly-named Cassus -- fortune, fate, overthrow, or futility -- in which the magisters pronounce or re-affirm their heirs and apprentices for the coming year.

It is, most of all, a descriptive calendar -- offering insight into the passage of time and weather near the Imperial capital in Minrathous.

### Tevinter Weekdays

For some utterly asshole reason, the Tevinter month has 30 days, but the Tevinter week has only 7 days, and there are absolutely no combinations in which this makes for good maths, in a twelve-month year, as the year has ~51.4 weeks in it, which makes the backs of my hands itch just thinking about it. However, it is likely that the week, at least, was established in honour of the seven gods of the Imperium -- particularly considering the days are named for them.

  1. Dumatedi
  2. Razikaledi
  3. Andoraledi
  4. Urthaledi
  5. Lusacandi
  6. Zazikeledi
  7. Tothedi



\-- From _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Source:  
> 
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Calendar
>   * @MaverikLoki, an actual scholar of Latin
> 

> 
> Assumptions about Tevinter climate and crops are non-canonical and based on attempts to apply an approximate climate map to Thedas. Two seasons appear in Tevinter: wet and less wet, with a brief period of something other than deathly hot.


	17. The Orlesian Calendar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'The Orlesian Calendar', from _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

### Orlesian Chantry Dates

In the days of the Imperium, Tevinter ways spread across Thedas, in many cases replacing the native traditions they'd overlapped. Native traditions for keeping time and many local celebrations were supplanted with Tevinter traditions. As the Ciriane tribes transformed into the Empire of Orlais, months and weekdays were renamed, to shake off the Tevinter associations, but the basic form of the year remained the same.

Although the month of Wintermarch (a winter month) is meant to align with the month of Verimensis (a spring month), in the Tevinter calendar, the start of Spring is somewhat delayed in Southern Thedas, and the holiday of Wintersend -- formerly Urthalis -- was moved to match up with the shift in seasons. This left a month at the start of the year with no holiday and, as this seemed rather unfitting, the Chantry elected to honour the birth of Andraste on the birthday of Divine Justinia I, conveniently in that month, according to Chantry tradition, and to then give Justinia her own entire month, later in the calendar. The shift causes five major holidays to appear in the Orlesian calendar, as opposed to the traditional four Tevinter ones, and all those holidays will be discussed in a later chapter.

  1. Wintermarch ( _Annum_ : First Day)
  2. Guardian ( _Annum_ : Wintersend)
  3. Drakonis
  4. Cloudreach
  5. Bloomingtide ( _Annum_ : Summerday)
  6. Justinian
  7. Solace
  8. August ( _Annum_ : All Soul's Day)
  9. Kingsway
  10. Harvestmere
  11. Firstfall ( _Annum_ : Satinalia)
  12. Haring



The Orlesian Chantry months are a bit less seasonally named than the Tevinter months, with several of them named for important people and other heroic or kingly concepts. However, the first month is 'Wintermarch', which is the last of that season, in the south. Further south than Val Royeaux, notably, which has fairly mild weather, being on the coast of the Waking Sea, as it is. The second month is called 'Guardian', which has little relation to any specific figure, that I'm able to determine, nor to the Tevinter month of the same period, which is named for the rains. The third month, though, is named 'Drakon', presumably for Kordilius Drakon, the first Emperor of Orlais. (I'll give the man a bit of credit -- he seemed intent on respecting our borders and establishing protection for those of his own people with the kind of talents our own people once regarded as utterly regular.)

With the fourth month we come to 'Cloudreach', which is, in fact a fairly cloudy month on the shores of the Waking Sea. Next comes 'Bloomingtide', a month that is, as advertised, a flowery one, for most of southern Thedas. The sixth month, like the third, is named for an individual, this time likely Divine Justinia I, since the name 'Justinian' appears nowhere in Orlesian history that I can find. The seventh month is the month of 'Solace' which sounds the same as both the Tevinter 'Solis' (for the same month) and the Elvish 'Solas', but has no meaning in common. I expect this one is just as it sounds. 'August', the eighth month, appears to be an adjective, and one applicable, one assumes, to either the Divine, the Emperor, or both, as it does not appear to be a name or a descriptor of the season. I should hardly cause this rather sweaty interlude to be called 'venerable' or 'blessed'. The ninth month is 'Kingsway', which is an odd choice, since Orlais does not have kings, nor do they seem to be a feature of the Chantry. I can only assume this is some oblique reference to either the Imperial Highway or the royal right to rule.

At last, we reach the month of Harvestmere, and with it, the purported end of the growing season, in the south. (Which is an outright lie, the cabbages and raspberries will grow on until the ground freezes, and the winter-greens won't even be ready for another month.) Following that comes 'Firstfall', which I presume refers to leaves and trees, and around the coast of the Waking Sea, this does hold, but further inland, the leaves are long gone, by this point in the year. The last month of the Orlesian year is called 'Haring', a reference to the fact that the traditional hunting season for hares is in the winter, just before they begin to breed again in spring.

While the Orlesian calendar does highlight some important seasonal events, it seems much more focused on Orlesian history and ideals.

* * *

### Orlesian Chantry Weekdays

~~Something something, human imperial rubbish~~ \-- The Chantry needed to rename the days to rid itself of Tevinter associations, without actually upsetting the count of days the common people relied upon. However, most of the days maintained their conceptual attributions, if not the gods attached to them. For instance, Andoral, the Old God of slavery, gives us Marketday. Urthemiel, the Old God of Beauty, gives us Maidsday, in much the way the constellation associated with Urthemiel is now said to be a depiction of a beautiful woman. The original attributions of the days are marked next to the names.

  1. Makersday (Silence, the Highest)
  2. Hopeday (Mystery)
  3. Marketday (Slaves)
  4. Maidsday (Beauty)
  5. Satinday (Night)
  6. Washday (Madness)
  7. Sunday (Fire)



\-- From _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sources:**
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Calendar
> 



	18. Holidays of the Orlesian Chantry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Holidays of the Orlesian Chantry' from _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

### Holidays of the Orlesian Chantry

This section is labelled specifically 'Orlesian' because the Tevinter Chantry celebrates slightly different holidays to the southern Chantry. Certain of the celebrated figures are deeply linked to the history of Orlais, including two Divines and Emperor Drakon. Orlesian holidays also include the Feasts of the Anointed, celebrating centuries of Andrastian heroes, with the notable later exception of two elves without whom there would never have been a Chantry.

  * #### First Day - 1 Wintermarch

This holiday is a celebration of the presumed birthday of Andraste and the appointment of Divine Justinia I. In places where snow is common, like Southern Thedas, this is an annual venture to ensure the neighbours are still living, which frequently results in town gatherings, including drinking and feasting. Stories of the old year are told and wishes for the new year made.
  * #### Wintersend - 1 Guardian

This holiday, in accordance with its name, represents the end of winter, in Southern Thedas. Seasonal markets open, and the events of the year begin, including noble balls, theatrical performances, and annual trade-guild events. Marriages are often arranged on this day.
  * #### Feast of Shartan / Feast of Ser Mhemet - 15 Guardian

Before the Exalted March on the Dales, this day was devoted to celebrating Shartan, and the journey of an elven slave through Andraste's care to his role as a warrior of the faith. It was a day for stories of righteous battle, and tales of local heroes would be told over the tables, during the feast. After the Exalted March on the Dales, all trace of elves was erased from the Chantry, and the Anointed champion of the March, Ser Mhemet, whose love of slaying elves was unmatched, took the place of Shartan in the Chantry Calendar, although the method of celebration remains much the same. If there were ever hope for bringing the elves of the Dales into the Andrastian faith, this erasure of our guide was the end of that.
  * #### Feast of Emperor Drakon / Feast of Calenhad - 15 Drakonis

In most Andrastian lands, Emperor Drakon is celebrated for his founding of the Chantry and establishing the single Andrastian religion out of the cults that had preceded it. Often this is celebrated with a procession from the edge of the settlement to the Chantry, or in the cases of smaller places, around the settlement. Generally, people carry banners representing Drakon's victories and his prophecies, as recorded in the Canticle of Exaltations. In Ferelden, this is the Feast of Calenhad, in the wake of the troubles with Orlais. Calenhad, the first King of Ferelden, was said to have been a dog handler, before he was king, and this holiday is celebrated with a variety of competitions for the best mabari. Of course, in Ferelden, it is said that even Andraste had her own mabari, so the best of the dogs are blessed by the Revered Mother of the local Chantry.
  * #### Feast of Justinia the Disciple - 15 Cloudreach

This holiday celebrates the devotion and faith of Justinia, a disciple of Andraste whose faith led her to follow Andraste out of slavery and into battle with Tevinter. On this holiday, gifts of sweets and mint water are exchanged, in recognition of the sweetness of freedom and the refreshing epiphanies of faith.
  * #### Summerday - 1 Bloomingtide

This holiday, marking the beginning of summer, is considered a particularly holy occasion in Orlais, where it is a time for dramatic life changes. Marriages often happen on this day, after being arranged on Wintersend. In many Andrastian nations, it is also a day for coming of age, on which all children having reached an appropriate age dress in white and join a grand procession to the local Chantry.
  * #### Feast of Ameridan / Feast of Divine Innocente - 15 Bloomingtide

This feast once celebrated the strength and wisdom of Inquisitor Ameridan, the best friend of Emperor Drakon, and one of the parties to the Nevarran Accord, which brought centuries of mages under the protection of the Chantry. Sadly for the Andrastian faith, Ameridan was an elf, and in the wake of the Exalted March on the Dales, the festival of this blessed hero was replaced with one celebrating Divine Innocente, who was Divine at the time of that decision, and witnessed the completion of the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux, before naming the Towers Age for it and declaring that the Chant of Light would be sung from those towers at all hours day or night. Her festival is one of song, celebrated by singing parts of the Chant of Light throughout the day. In some places, the Chant is divided up by age, so that there is always someone singing throughout the day, all through the settlement.
  * #### Feast of Cathaire - 15 Justinian

Cathaire was the commander of Andraste's forces, when she marched against the Imperium. As with many of the early Chantry heroes, Cathaire was a warrior, and this day's celebration includes games emphasizing martial prowess, like mock battles with brooms and pans for swords and shields, the breaking of sweet-filled jugs while blindfolded, and competitions involving wrestling and strength.
  * #### Feast of Hector - 15 Solace

As Hector was a Nevarran lord, before he was struck down in defence of Andraste, against the Tevinter forces of her betrayer, Nevarran foods are often served on this day, where they are available. Obviously, in Nevarra, this is somewhat less of a concern. Celebration tends to involve the wearing of a red sash with an arrow tied in it, representing the manner of Hector's death.
  * #### All Souls Day - 1 August

A holiday commemorating the death of Andraste, celebrated with fires to represent her immolation and a cycle of plays depicting her betrayal and death. In these plays, Andraste is more often depicted praying and leading through song than as a warrior.
  * #### Feast of Havard - 15 August

After All Souls Day, comes the Feast of Havard, which celebrates Andraste's first disciple, who is said to have borne her ashes out of Tevinter to conceal them somewhere in Alamarri lands. During this holiday, people dress in mourning, and carry small bowls or urns of the ashes from All Souls Day with them, to mark the cheeks of other celebrants.
  * #### Feast of Hessarian the Redeemed - 15 Kingsway

A holiday of forgiveness, this is the time when Andrastians send small gifts and letters to those they have forgiven for past wrongs. Those with no one to forgive, or who are not yet prepared to forgive, pray, on this day, for the power to do it, when the time is right.
  * #### Feast of Clothilde of Crechy - 15 Harvestmere

This feast is extremely popular among the peasantry of Andrastian lands. While Clothilde was once famed for her excellence as a warrior, she is remembered for her non-violent protest against the Baron of Rosfort's taxes on the poor. For this, she was declared one of the Anointed, in 5:65 Exalted. A popular celebration for this holiday includes wearing rags and contributing coin to a locked box in the town square, in the week before. On the holiday itself, a young woman is given a large hammer with which to break open the box, and the gathered coins are used to fund a public feast. It is suggested that another name might once have been attached to a festival on this date, but no communities can be found that still celebrate it, and the name is now lost.
  * #### Satinalia - 1 Firstfall

Satinalia is an inversion holiday, dedicated to the second moon. It is a night of wild festivities and feasting, in which masks are worn, even outside of Orlais, and for the length of the feast, some popular fool is named ruler. In Antiva, this is a week-long festival, followed by a week of fasting. In particularly restrained places, where wild revelry would go amiss, the holiday is celebrated with feasting and the exchange of gifts.
  * #### Feast of Maferath - 15 Firstfall

Maferath's story is one of betrayal, faithlessness, and cowardice, and though those seem strange cause for celebration, this is a holiday of repentance. In general, the day is spent waiting in a line of one's neighbours, drinking bitter wine and eating small flat bread, while waiting to speak to a Chantry sister, and confess one's moral failings for the year. Only adults may participate in this festival, as children have not yet been given adult responsibilities, as they are still learning, and are expected to make children's decisions, rather than being brave and having faith in the Maker's light.
  * #### Feast of Brona - 15 Haring

It is said that Brona, the mother of Andraste, foresaw the path her daughter would take, before Andraste was even born. On this day, the prophet's mother's visions are celebrated by the singing of parts of the Chant related to the life of Andraste, the Canticles of Andraste and Apotheosis being favoured choices. Groups of people travel door to door, each singing a different part of the chant, in exchange for warm beverages from the householders.



\-- From _Human Perceptions of Date and Time_ , by [Hahren Vahrel of Clan Alerion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Vahrel), 8:94 Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Sources:
> 
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mhemet%27s_War_Hammer>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Pearl_of_the_Anointed>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Kordillus_Drakon>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Chant_of_Light_verses#Canticle_of_Exaltations>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Legend_of_Calenhad:_Chapter_3>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Divine#Known_Andrastian_Divines>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Landmarks_in_the_Emprise#Hector_in_his_Time_of_Dying>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Shield_of_the_Anointed>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Disciples_of_Andraste>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Hessarian>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Maferath>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Brona>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Havard>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cathaire>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ameridan>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Calendar>
> 



	19. Concepts of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From When Is an Heur Not an Heur? by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna), 9:29 Dragon

### Orlesian Chantry Time

The Chantry marks the hours in most parts of Thedas, and for many people, this is enough. The Chantry day consists of eight hours, each marked with a bell, or in places where the Chantry doesn't have a bell, the calling of the hours.

  * Heure du Soleil - The first hour of the day begins at dawn.
  * Heure de Travail - When the workday begins.
  * Heure de Déjeuner - When those in administrative, clerical, and monastic professions pause for a mid-day meal.
  * Heure de Réunions - When the day begins to wind down -- conferences and meetings are often convened at this time, and preparatory work for the next day begins.
  * Heure de Viande - Typically, when supper is served in inns and taverns.
  * Heure de Rêves - Intended to be the time when people go to bed. That is rarely the case in cities and noble houses.
  * Heures de la Nuit - The middle of the night, when the gaming clubs and brothels are in the height of their action.
  * Heure de Prière - When the early-rising sisters of the Chantry begin their praise of the Maker. It is said they call to the sun.



Each hour is divided into three cierges -- so called for the candles used to measure them. Marked candles of a specific size can be purchased in most Andrastian cities, singly or in sets of three or twenty-four. In Orlais, obviously, 'cierge' refers to any of the Chantry's candles, so the more specific 'cierges marquées' is used for these in particular. Time is told with the number of the candle and the name of the hour, as in 'first Soleil' or 'third Viande'. The marks on the cierges indicate moments and points, with each cierge bearing four points divided into ten moments each, for forty moments per cierge and one hundred and twenty per hour.

**Examples:**

  * He stared for nearly a whole moment.
  * She joined us at second Viande.
  * I was there at two points first Travail, only a few moments late.
  * It would be a cierge and a half, before anything happened.



### Tevinter Time

If there is something other than blood magic that Tevinter is renowned for, it is precision in time, date, and magical energy. Though the Blights and repeated invasions of the Imperium have crippled development in many areas and resulted in the loss of many essential ancient studies, Tevinter timekeeping has been remarkably steady, possibly due to the strong dwarven influence in Minrathous. But, Tevinter does away with the named hours and cierges of Orlesian time, preferring a simpler sexagesimal system, which divides the day into six partes, and each pars into gradualitatis and ordea. For convenience, the intermediate measures of horae and medipartes are used, with one hora being equivalent to 1/6 pars or 10 degrees and one medipars being equivalent to 1/2 pars.

Few common people in Tevinter make use of units of time smaller than the hora, although candle-clocks with marked degrees are available. Among magical researchers, however, the ordeum is essential, and some have fragmented even that, although the resulting particulae haven't caught on very well, yet.

**Examples:**

  * You must wait three particulae, but no more than an ordeum, before pronouncing the next verse, or the spirit will not hear you.
  * He said he'd be there in an hora, but I waited a medipars, and he never showed up.
  * She'll be there within a few gradualitatis of second pars.
  * The parcel arrived at 3p4h, a wait that said the courier had stopped at the tavern for not a drink, but a whole supper.



### Dwarven Time (Orzammar)

Dwarven time is based on the Stone, and dwarves who have never seen the sky, it is said, have some innate understanding of the stone. Certainly no dwarf in the city of Orzammar is late, and there is no clockwork representing dwarven time, in the city -- only Orlesian time and Tevinter time, to impress foreign diplomats and traders. What has been noted, though, is that while a dwarven day is generally consistent with an Orlesian day, at times, the entire city quickens or slows at once, with an end difference of hours to the Orlesian clocks. But, the dwarves insist they have been working at the speed of the Stone. Often, these shifts surround the discovery of new lyrium veins or the sudden and unanticipated collapse of the deepest mines, and some say the Stone tried to warn them.

Dwarves speak of the day having sixteen measures -- the morning octave and the evening octave. Each of these measures is split into four pulses -- a few moments longer than an Orlesian point -- and each pulse is split again into four beats -- each about three and a half Orlesian moments long.

**Examples:**

  * I'll be there at three evening and two pulses.
  * Give me a beat, and I'll do it.
  * It should only take a measure or two.



### Dalish Time

Dalish time is imprecise, to say the least, relying on the relationship between a person on the ground and the movement of the sun and stars in the sky. The daylight hours are said to be twelve hands of time, where a hand is the width of four fingers held out to the horizon. Each finger is its own unit of daytime. Of course, these lengths of time are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, but there is no question that a Dalesman will arrive exactly when he said he would, which may not be when you were expecting him, if you are, like most of Thedas, using Orlesian time. Nights are measured with the constellation Visus, which is visible year-round and seems to rotate at the very southernmost point of the sky. The Dalish judge the time at night by splitting the arc around Visus into eight angles and following the leftmost long point of Visus around them.

**Examples:**

  * I'll meet you back here in three fingers.
  * He said he'd be here at three hands and two fingers tomorrow.
  * Be back in a quarter angle.
  * We'll be there by the second angle.



\-- From When Is an Heur Not an Heur? by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna) of Hercinia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Footnotes:
> 
>   * Having looted the wiki for mentions of 'hour' and 'minute', I can say that all of Thedas uses hours and minutes. Dwarves, Tevinter, Orlais all confirmed. Again with the 'why would you DOOOO THIS'. It doesn't really make proper sense for people with NO FUCKING CLOCKS to have a universal grip on 'minute' like that. Yes, water clocks and hourglasses, but... we're not always talking people who would have those things. I have seen no evidence of timekeeping devices among the clutter in the homes of common people, except for the infinite number of candle stubs all over the place in Inquisition. [There is one canonical mention of a sundial](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Short_Story:_The_Riddle_Of_Truth). Anyway, canon is stupid, and I elect to ignore it in this instance.
>   * Dwarven time is based on the assumption the dwarves are able to perceive the titan song, if at a much lower intensity than Valta hears in Descent, when the titan wakes up. The rhythm of the titans' basic functions controls the dwarven perception of time -- and that may shift if the titan wakes up, or if they're in range of a different titan. Or, in the case of surface dwarves, not in range of a titan at all.
>   * Dalish time is based on fairly normal outdoor time-telling procedures, but with different stars in the sky.
>   * Tevinter time is loosely based on a variety of historic sexigesimal systems, including the Babylonian one that first caught my eye.
>   * Orlesian time is founded in Medieval and Renaissance Catholic perceptions of time.
>   * **The edits supporting this HAVE NOT been made in Rhapsody, yet.**
> 

> 
> #### Conversions:
> 
>   * **Orlesian Time**
>     * Day = 8 heures
>     * Heure = 180 minutes (3 hours)
>     * Cierge = 60 minutes (1 hour)
>     * Point = 15 minutes
>     * Moment = 1.5 minutes (90 seconds)
>   * **Tevinter Time**
>     * Day = 6 partes/12 medipars/36 horae
>     * Pars = 240 minutes (4 hours)
>     * Medipars = 120 minutes (2 hours)
>     * Hora = 40 minutes (1/6 pars)
>     * Gradualitas = 4 minutes (1/60 pars, 1/10 hora)
>     * Ordeum = 4 seconds (1/15 minute)
>     * Particula = 1/3 second (1/12 ordeum)
>   * **Dwarven Time**
>     * Day = 16 measures
>     * Octave = 720 minutes (12 hours, 8 measures)
>     * Measure = 90 minutes
>     * Pulse = 22.5 minutes (1/4 measure)
>     * Beat = 5.625 minutes (1/16 measure)
>   * **Dalish Time**
>     * Daylight = ~12 hands (Varies with season.)
>     * Hand = ~60 minutes (Varies with season.)
>     * Finger = ~15 minutes (Varies with season.)
>     * Night = ~4 angles (Varies with season)
>     * Angle = 180 minutes (3 hours)
> 



	20. An Introduction to Thedosian Astrology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _An Introduction to Astrology_ , by [Giovana Piscemano](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Giovana).

## An Introduction to Thedosian Astrology

Astrology, whether the ancient Tevinter practise or the modern Andrastian practise, is focused on seven constellations and their supposed influence on the personality and personal journey of the person born during the period attributed to that sign. While the signs were initially those attributed to the Old Gods, some have taken on a slightly different meaning for modern Andrastians.

### THE MAIDEN: 1 Wintermarch - 21 Guardian

_Bellitanus / Urthemiel_

The constellation we know as 'The Maiden' was once called 'Bellitanus', by the worshippers of the Old Gods, and held to represent Urthemiel, the god of beauty. Fittingly, those born under the sign of the Maiden are said to be beautiful and lusty. They are often found pursuing love, lust, harmony, and solidarity with others. Their lives are often defined by romantic relations, marriage and business partnerships, sex, the arts, fashion, and their social lives. Maidens desire pleasure, comfort, and ease, above all else. Fortune favours the Maiden, and it is not uncommon to hear them claim to be 'lucky'. This sign is associated with copper, and the most dangerous injury to a Maiden is one to the belly.

* * *

### THE DOVE (chaos): 22 Guardian - 13 Cloudreach

_Kios / Zazikel_

While the constellation, outside the astrological context, is called 'Chaos', from the Tevinter 'Kios', in astrology, we call it 'The Dove'. At one time, it was representative of Zazikel, the Old God of freedom and chaos. Those born under the sign of the Dove are said to be nurturing, emotional, and cool-tempered. They are often found pursuing travel, eclectic ideas, and careers in the arts. Their lives are often defined by journeys rather than destinations, memories, reactions, rhythm, and cycles of change. Doves desire security and a connection to history, most of all. The Dove is often said to be mad, and some embrace this inner chaos, while others deny it, pointing to their plans and the cyclical nature of their lives. This sign is associated with silver, and the most dangerous injury to the Dove is one to the foot.

* * *

### SILENCE: 14 Cloudreach - 4 Justinian

_Silentir / Dumat_

The constellation we now know as 'Silence' was once known as 'Silentir', and associated with the Old God Dumat, the god of silence and secrets. Those born under the sign of Silence are said to be wise, generous, and good-natured. They are often found pursuing knowledge, history, and self-improvement. Their lives are often defined by personal power, pride and authority, leadership qualities, creativity, and vitality. Those born under Silence desire wisdom, correctness, and access to hidden secrets, above all. Fortune also favours those born to this sign, but unlike the Maiden, they are often unaware of this and do not speak of it. The sign is associated with gold, and the most dangerous injury to Silence is one to the head.

* * *

### THE SACRIFICE: 5 Justinian - 26 Solace

_Eluvia / Razikale_

The constellation we call the Sacrifice was once named 'Eluvia', and it was thought to represent the Old God Razikale, god of mystery and perhaps also wishes. Those born under the sign of Sacrifice are said to be wise, like those of Silence, but most often stable and persistent in the face of adversity. Their lives are often defined by disastrous events, accidents, disease, limitations, restrictions, boundaries, practicality, reality, time, anxiety, and bad luck. Those born under the Sacrifice seek out purpose, discipline, and precision, above all else. The Sacrifice is said to be morose and cold, but those who come to know them well can speak to their brightness, when well-tended. This sign is associated with lead, and the most dangerous injury to the Sacrifice is to the chest.

* * *

### THE CHAINED MAN: 27 Solace - 17 Kingsway

_Servani / Andoral_

The constellation we know as 'The Chained Man' was similarly named by ancient Tevinter, where it was called 'Servani' and associated with the Old God Andoral, the god of slavery and unity. Those born under the sign of the Chained Man are said to be strong, enduring, and soldierly. Their lives are often defined by war, conflicts, misfortune, aggression, sexuality, and ambition. Those born under the Chained Man desire resistance, struggle, and engagement most of all. The Chained Man is often called hot-blooded, and most will take the observation as a challenge. This sign is associated with iron, and the most dangerous injury to the Chained Man is to the groin.

* * *

### THE OWL: 18 Kingsway - 9 Firstfall

_Tenebrium / Lusacan_

What we call 'The Owl' was once recognised as 'Tenebrium', the representation of the Old God Lusacan, the god of darkness and night. Those born under the sign of the Owl are said to be cheerful, magnanimous, and festive. Their lives are often defined by good times, prosperity, gambling, merrymaking, exploration, and humanitarian pursuits. Owls desire justice, holy benediction, and good fortune for those around them. The Owl is often said to be ennobling, but most will make a jest of it. This sign is associated with tin, and the most dangerous injury to the Owl is to the neck.

* * *

### FIRE: 10 Firstfall - 30 Haring

_Toth / Toth_

The sign we call 'Fire' is still known as 'Toth', astronomically, giving it the same name as the Old God it represents, incidentally the god of fire. Those born under the sign of Fire are said to be capricious, eager, whimsical, and quick. Their lives are often defined by communication, writing, information gathering, adaptation, sudden change, curiosity, and feats of physical dexterity. Those born under Fire seek out speed, innovation, and flexibility, above all else. Fire is said, obviously, to burn those who hold it too long, but it is difficult to keep a grip on one who doesn't desire to be held. This sign is associated with quicksilver, and the most dangerous injury to Fire is to the elbows or knees.

\-- From _An Introduction to Astrology_ , by [Giovana Piscemano](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Giovana).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sources:**
> 
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Bellitanus>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Kios>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Silentir>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Eluvia>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Servani>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Tenebrium>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Constellation:_Toth>
>   * Kelly, F. "Medicine and Early Irish Law." _Irish Journal of Medical Science_ 170, no. 1 (January 2001): 73-76. doi:10.1007/11845.1863-4362. ( <http://www.ijms.ie/Portals/_IJMS/Documents/170173.pdf> )
>     * "This applies in the case of an injury to any of the twelve ‘doors of the soul’ ( _dorus anma_ ). These are evidently parts of the body where even what might seem a slight injury can have fatal results. They are listed as the top of the head, the back of the neck, the hollow of the temple, the Adam’s apple, the hollow of the breast, the armpit, the breast-bone, the navel, the bend of the elbow, the popliteal fossa (back of the knee), the bulge of the groin (defined as the _tairbfhéith_ ‘bull-sinew’), and the sole of the foot."
>     * Essentially, the head, neck, chest, belly, (elbow, knee), groin, and foot, to cut it down to seven.
>   * <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planets_in_astrology>
> 

> 
> #### Because we're dorks:
> 
>   1. The Maiden: Anders, Malcolm Hawke, Tamlen, Zevran
>   2. The Dove: Anders (that's not a mistake), Theron Mahariel, Solas, Karaas Adaar
>   3. Silence: Merrill, Cormac Hawke
>   4. The Sacrifice: Artemis Hawke, Aveline Vallen, Carver Hawke (but not Bethany)
>   5. The Chained Man: Fenris, Bethany Hawke (it was a long labour), Cullen Rutherford, Kalli Tabris
>   6. The Owl: Varric Tethras, Anton Hawke, Meredith Stannard
>   7. Fire: Isabela, Leandra Amell, Sebastian Vael
> 



	21. Schools of Magic: Arcane & Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _First Principles of Magic_ , by Enchanter Mariota of Perendale

## Schools of Magic

Manifestations of magic span a wide range of abilities, talents, and preferences, and out of these, the Circle has attempted to create order. In the emblem that represents us are the first four schools -- Primal (the magic of nature), Spirit (the magic of the near Fade), Creation (which speaks for itself), and Entropy (the magic of decay and negation). But, not all that could be done with magic fit so easily into these bounds, and so we began to describe more schools of particular talent -- Force, by which things are moved; Necromancy, by which, in all its forms, the dead are moved; Spirit Healing, by which the gifts of the Maker's first children are called upon to renew the flesh; Arcane, by which magic itself is manipulated and comprehended. Rumours abound of other magics, lost elven and Tevinter talents that have vanished back into the mists of time -- shapeshifting, turning back time, point-to-point travel -- but we have seen no indication that these magics are real, and the mages of the Dales are in no hurry to instruct us in their primitive but effective arts. Last of all, it seems the magic of Blood should be mentioned. This branch of the tree of magic is forbidden, as it has no decent and humane purpose -- it serves merely to summon demons through the veil and commit unspeakable violence against good and righteous folk. The Circles of Thedas tolerate it not, even in the Imperium, it is said.

All schools of magic contain a variety of skills, rituals, and 'spells', to bring forth the will of the mage in varying forms and intensities. A single spell can be used to light a candle or to start a bonfire. A different spell of the same school could warm a bed or cook a roast. Not all applications of a school will come easily to a practitioner, and frequently a single mage will be skilled in more than one school, with a scattering of low-intensity spells from nearly all of them. But, every mage I have met has some innate talent for some branch of the Primal tree, which seems suited, since it is the magic of the world in which we live. Its power and material surrounds us always. Each school is as valuable as any other, but each provides a different benefit, and some may be more useful in certain situations than others. A discussion follows on the strengths of each school. I begin with the core of magic, itself: the Arcane school.

### Arcane

Arcane magic is often said to draw from the 'deepest wells of the Fade', and while all mages have a nearly innate access to the simplest spells in this school, like hurling raw mana at things, few choose to pursue it too deeply. A student of the Arcane school presses on past the use of unmodified mana, and can tune their own bodies to use it more efficiently, making them seem to have greater resources at their disposal and cutting down on the time needed to produce magical effects from any school. Mana manipulation, of course, is the basis of nearly all magic, and a strong background in the Arcane school is of great assistance.

Beyond that, the Arcane mage is skilled in producing fields of magic that produce certain effects within a limited area, most often around the mage, but sometimes at a bit of a distance. Effects include repelling those who try to approach, emanating waves of raw mana that harm those inside the field, and dispelling the magical efforts of other mages. Nearly all enchanters in the circle learn this last to protect their students from common novice accidents.

With a certain focus, the field becomes a shield that protects against physical and magical damage. In its more frequently used form, this shield moves with the person it's attached to and reduces, but doesn't eliminate impacts, changing serious damage into a minor inconvenience. There also exists an immovable, but impenetrable, barrier that uses mana to fully deflect assaults. Few can maintain this for long, if it is struck often, but the efficiency of a well-studied Arcane mage, noted above, is of great use. Finally, there is another shield that uses not mana for the shield, but the Fade itself. This is, obviously, extremely dangerous and has resulted in an assortment of gory deaths among those eager but not prepared to undertake it. Remember that buckling the Veil in this manner is an attempt to control a deadly force of nature -- far more dangerous than rushing water or a storm, and more like wrestling the sea itself. It is, obviously, not advisable, even if it is possible.

Finally, Arcane magic can be used for offence as well. The barrier mentioned as a shield can also be drawn in, crushing anything inside it, which is also excellent for kneading breads and puréeing fruit. Let it never be said magic serves only the purposes of war. Raw mana can also be released in a sudden burst which confuses and often stuns those it touches. This stunning effect is something instructors are encouraged to keep in mind, with new students who may not have the necessary control to avoid it as backlash from mistakes in other spells.

Further, there is a certain 'madness' of long-time Arcane specialist mages. They often become convinced their magic has a personality of its own. This is not to be confused with possession or being spoken to by spirits or demons, as there is no second party involved. It is thought that long-term direct contact with the material of the Fade, in a way other mages only experience during their Harrowing, may cause them to become slightly delusional. It is not worth arguing with them about whether the magic is speaking to them, because whatever it is they are recognising, their sense of it frequently prevents them causing serious accidents.

### Force

Force magic is a speciality of the Marches, with the Gallows housing a majority of the researchers in the school. It consists of, as one might assume from the name, pushing and pulling things, and affecting the atmospheric pressures around them. Those who pursue this school in depth often also render themselves immune to its effects as well as other similar pressures -- which is to say, it is nearly impossible to knock a Force mage down, or move them somewhere they do not wish to go.

Moving things, in fact, is the most obvious group of skills a force mage has. They are able to pull, push, and lift single objects fairly easily, although the size and weight of the objects as well as the speed at which they can be moved is a matter of power and control. With great control and little power, a Force mage can shelve dishes or slide documents out of a stack. With a moderate amount of control and power, a mage can roll a keg and rack it or push someone out of the way of the rolling keg. With great power and little control, a Force mage can hurl furniture or knock down walls. Power and control, however, are rarely inversely linked, and a Force mage with both power and control is an extremely deadly opponent. Two specific skills for moving things allow drawing groups of things or people in toward a central point or, from a similarly central point, pushing them outward.

Next, of course, is stopping things. A student of Force is often unable to be moved against their will, and can sometimes extend that protection to others, unfortunately at the cost of temporarily paralysing them for the duration. It is also possible to slow a group of people by extending the duration and lowering the power of the spell designed to pull them together. Often those two spells are used in combination to restrain a chaotic group. A person caught in this spell spends most of their energy resisting the pull of it, and cannot move nearly as quickly, while under the effect and inside the affected area. The closer to the centre one is, the more difficult the spell is to resist, and as people begin to work their way toward the edges of the spell, movement becomes quicker and easier, so it is important to consider the use of applying more force at certain intervals to draw them back together. Obviously, this uses an enormous amount of energy and cannot be upheld for very long by a single mage.

Finally, a Force mage can use their magic to strike out, using swift, hard bursts as those without magic use their fists. Of course, these fists may be far larger than any person's appendages, and they are frequently brought down from above, to minimise unintended damage to the surrounding area as well as to add the force of gravity to the strike. This application of Force can also be combined with a physical strike, making the penetration of medium-grade armour nearly effortless with a sharp object that can withstand the impact. A templar who remembers to use their anti-magic skill should be all right, as it is unlikely the first strike will pierce the armour worn by most templars. Few Force mages possess the combination of power and control required, but those who do may not need a weapon at all, using their magic to pierce like an arrow, rather than strike like a fist.

\-- From _First Principles of Magic_ , by Enchanter Mariota of Perendale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Notes:
> 
> We've reassembled the schools of magic to make some kind of sense, because of the way magic and the spells available in a school change with each game. In fact, this is based on a massive bulleted list in which we took ALL the spells available in all the games and, after clearing out the duplicates, arranged them sensibly. So, yes, you will see things in this series of codices that were not possible with a particular school, in one or more of the games. These codices are intended to suggest ranges of skills, rather than focus on the specifics -- not all mages who practise a school are going to have all the possible spells, so there will be mention of spells you may never actually see used in Rhapsody, or spells that show up in Rhapsody that are not addressed specifically here.
> 
> #### Sources:
> 
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mage>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Arcane_spells_%28Origins%29>
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Arcane_spells_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Arcane_spells_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Mage>
> 



	22. Schools of Magic: Primal, Creation, & Spirit Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _First Principles of Magic _, by Enchanter Mariota of Perendale.__

### Primal

Primal magic harnesses the power of the world around us -- the physical plane -- to perform feats of nature by way of magical effort. The school is often divided into four main paths, based on the elements preferred by its practitioners, and while many of the basic concepts are the same between paths, the specifics and uses vary widely. All Primal paths, with sufficient study, leave their students with an improved resistance to the element being studied. A mage who has a strong natural talent for one path or who studies it more intensely than the rest may develop greater power with that path, with some of those who chose to study the path in which their magic manifested managing up to a third again the power of mages coming in from another school.

Primal mages of any element are able to use their mana to maintain a temporary enchantment, bestowing nearby objects with the qualities of their preferred element, which often leads to things like electrified door handles and temperature-maintaining mugs. These are temporary because they are linked directly to the mana pool of the caster instead of to runes, which might allow them permanency.

Fire mages can light the candles in a room, warm the bed, or rain down flame from the sky upon armies of darkspawn -- that last I've only seen in legend, of course. An untrained fire mage is often an extreme danger to themself and others, as the flames may manifest spontaneously and to great destructive effect, particularly in places where the majority of structures are made of wood. Once they have learnt to control it, though, the fire can be tamed for household use.

Ice mages can cool a hot room, make frosty desserts, or even freeze advancing lines of an opposing army to the ground. While the danger of fire is quite obvious, many underestimate the deadliness of ice -- its effect on both flesh and structure. In fact, ice magic is used in the removal of certain types of warts, to destroy the growths completely, leaving them to be scraped off like any other dead skin. On the structural scale, ice magic can freeze the natural water content of wood or dew in crevices in stone, leading to explosions. Particularly skilled mages can call down blizzards, and unexpected, indoor snowfall can be a sign of manifestation. When combined with a touch if fire magic, ice spells can be used to produce water, which is generally less useful, unless one is particularly parched.

The magic of the stone is particularly uncanny, with its ability to stream and swirl solid rock. Stone mages are often sculptors, in their spare time, as the minute detail assists in learning to control the magic. Still, they are capable of things on a grander scale, including shields, barriers, and jointed armour made of stone. Perhaps more terrifying is the ability to convert living things to stone -- a skill reserved for long-term and particularly sadistic students of the school. It is said that Kinloch Hold has the famed Tevinter oracle Eleni Zinovia in this form -- the form in which Archon Valerius left her -- and that she still speaks prophecy, to this day. It must be kept in mind that manifestations of this branch of Primal magic often involve a trembling of the earth itself, as is sometimes encountered in Avvar and occasionally Planasene legend. Only rarely is it enough to topple walls, but used in combination with ice magic, even a fortress can be reduced to rubble.

Wind and lightning are at the command of sky mages, called Stormbringers or, less flatteringly, Blowhards, by those who have seen them work. It is difficult to imagine a household use for this sort of magic, other than the usual assortment of prurient uses nearly all magic gets put to, but the capabilities of a Sky Mage cannot be underestimated. They have the ability to call lightning down onto any target and in nearly any intensity, from a faint tingle to a heart-stopping jolt. Of course, as 'Stormbringers', they can do just that, calling down raging winds and lightning in a surprisingly large area.

### Creation

Creation magic is, obviously enough, the process of bringing into being things that were not already present in that place. Whether all of these spells create new material, rather than transporting it from elsewhere is unknown, but the 'creation' of creatures is currently classed as 'summoning', since attempts to create new life with magic alone have never ended well -- that said, this may be the last use of magical transport that has survived the fall of the Imperium. Creation also includes the creation of glyphs, which are like runes without the lyrium and only last as long as the caster is able to devote power to their upkeep. And, of course, the best-known branch of Creation is rejuvenation, which provides greater stamina and resistance to wounds, and can repair simple damage to the body.

Rejuvenation is not true healing, as a spirit healer performs, but it is enough for most common situations and household accidents -- a skinned knee, a broken nose, various cuts and bruises. It can also be used to refresh those who are tired and to accelerate natural healing. Rejuvenation spells are popular with teams of mages working on long rituals, for obvious reasons, and with the kitchen staff, in many Circles. Something about all those knives, I'm told. Because outright healing, rather than accelerating the healing process -- which, though accelerated is still comparatively slow -- creates new flesh and bone, it often leaves scars and can set bones improperly and with noticeable ridges, even when the bone is set correctly. But, there is no rejuvenation that can alleviate illness, unfortunately. A Creation mage may be more resistant to illness, but once someone is ill, it is to physicians and Spirit Healers to make them well.

The acceleration of natural healing may also be linked to another sort of acceleration a Creation mage can offer, which is to make others able to move at a third again their usual speed, drawing on the mage's mana for the energy needed to do so. Mages of this school can also offer other enhancements to those around them, like improved manual aptitude and resistance to harm.

Some enhancements -- and related diminishments, let us not forget -- can be inscribed upon the ground and given power with the mage's mana. Ward glyphs are popular for certain dangerous experiments, as they can be inscribed in advance and activated, if necessary, in an instant, to provide resistance to explosions and other magical accidents. Many Creation mages who brew potions inscribe their workbenches with repulsion glyphs, to keep others away from their work, while they see to other things. Some classrooms have large neutralisation glyphs inlaid in the floor, in the event of spells gone awry, and these dispel all magic within the bounds of the outer ring and prevent more magic from being used. Another glyph that is most often used in pranks is the glyph of paralysis, which, as the name suggests, stops the person who steps in it from moving, for a time. The fact is that many spells can be rendered as glyphs, but few are, since this art is considered part of the school of Creation, rather than a general-purpose skill -- which may be for the best. The last thing any Circle needs is a student inscribing a glyph for fireballs in some poor Enchanter's office.

Finally, we come to summoning. Grease is the most common thing summoned, and that may actually be created, since it is not a living thing. Most often, the grease is some highly flammable sort, but some mages have managed to reproduce oils suitable for cooking, perfume, and furniture polish. The oils, once created, are non-magical, and cannot be dispelled, so do be cautious what you spill them on. The simplest summon that actually calls forth a living thing -- by some definitions of 'living' is the call to a wisp, or tiny spirit, which can give light, or if a greater wisp is brought forth, it can also offer a certain amount of rejuvenation to those close to it, after the fashion of the earlier spells of that nature. Calling wisps can be seen as a stunted form of Spirit Healing, and one must always be cautious not to bring forth demons, when calling anything through the Veil. Some summoners can bring forth swarms of insects or single, larger animals, although there are rumours, if unsubstantiated ones, of some mages of history summoning swarms of housecats.

### Spirit Healing

Spirit Healing requires direct, consistent contact with spirits, as one might expect, and in most Circles, Spirit Healers are watched more closely than mages of any other school. Anything that passes from the Fade, into our world, is suspected of being a demon, and templars are frequently ill-inclined to trust a spirit's good intentions. Still, these are the mages most accepted by those with neither a talent for the magical nor for the anti-magical. Their ability to heal, cure, and protect against further damage far exceeds what can be accomplished with the healing branch of Creation, and it makes them quite popular in places where large portions of the population are engaged in dangerous professions -- miners, soldiers, and large-game hunters are full of tales about being rescued by Spirit Healers on loan from the nearest Circle. A Spirit Healer is said to be harmless, while the spirit acts through them, that they are unable to intentionally damage another living thing, and that their own spells cannot be accessed, until the spirit's power is no longer being channelled.

Spirit Healers can, of course, offer similar rejuvenation effects to Creation mages, but with a surprising intensity, sustaining those who should have fallen with swift healing and an uncanny stamina. They are also able to heal entire groups at once, although the quality of the healing declines somewhat, as the size of the group increases. Still, it is excellent for saving lives -- to buy time for proper individual healing. The strongest of Spirit Healers can draw back those so close to death that other healers might think them already deceased. Their ability for self-healing exceeds even the ability to heal others, and it is said that the only way to kill a Spirit Healer (why you would want to is beyond my comprehension) is to behead them. Even a templar's ability to drain the mana of those who have it seems only to affect the mage, and not the spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Sources:
> 
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Primal_spells_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Primal_spells_%28Origins%29)
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Elemental_spells>
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Primal_spells_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Primal_spells_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Creation_spells_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Creation_spells_%28Origins%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Creation_spells_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Creation_spells_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_Healer_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_Healer_%28Origins%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_Healer_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_Healer_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
> 



	23. Schools of Magic: Spirit, Necromancy, & Entropy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _First Principles of Magic_ , by Enchanter Mariota of Perendale.

### Spirit

Spirit magic is related to both Arcane magic and Spirit Healing, drawing on the power of the near Fade (rather than the deep Fade) and sometimes the energies of nearby spirits. A mage specialising in Spirit magic rarely has a single spirit companion, though, like a Spirit Healer, nor do they tend to manifest the delusions peculiar to Arcane mages. Notably, like an Arcane mage, a Spirit mage is able to affect their own and others' mana and to disrupt the magic of others. While a strong student of the school may be able to regain mana more swiftly and directly strike more strongly, they do not have quite the restorative or destructive capabilities of an Arcane mage. Calling upon spirits, themselves, is generally reserved for some of the work done with the dead, which makes Spirit magic also a close cousin to Necromancy, which uses many of the abilities of that branch of the Spirit tree. Spirit mages are excellent in general-purpose scenarios, where controlling the magical abilities of others is important -- education, discipline, or war. One can rarely have too many Spirit mages in a Circle.

Perhaps most important to a Circle is a Spirit mage's ability to disrupt the magic of others. At the most basic, a Spirit mage can raise a shield against magic around themselves, protecting them from most harm that could be done via spellcraft. A step further, they are able to create anti-magic wards, allowing the shield to be raised around someone other than the caster. Active spells in an area -- those being sustained by the mana of others, can be terminated by a Spirit mage, and those who refine their control are able to use the release of energy from that termination to heal the victims of the spell (if any) and harm the caster. With practise, the area that can be dispelled grows larger.

A Spirit mage may also draw from, dispel, or weaponise the mana of those around them. The last is always something to watch out for with young Spirit mages, particularly those with grudges. Drawing from the mana of others, obviously, allows more man to be channelled into the Spirit mage's spell, but leaves the person it's channelled from with less, for their own purposes. This should only be done with the consent of the donors, of course. A spirit mage can also use mana more quickly to boost the power of a spell, but this interferes with the rate at which they are able to restore their own mana, since it is being used more quickly than it can be replenished. Drawing mana from others can offset this, for massive long-term spells, and teams of mages, including one or more Spirit mages are usually used for large rituals, for this reason. Dispelling mana removes another mage's ability to cast magic, much like the templar ability to do the same. A Spirit mage may sacrifice an amount of their own mana to remove the same amount from a target. No one is quite certain what becomes of the mana in question, since the energy does not appear to cause any effect, on its dispersal. More dangerously, a Spirit mage can throw raw mana at another mage, violently forcing a similar amount of mana out of the other mage to massive destructive effect. This is extremely dangerous and can be fatal to the victim. It is yet another reason that dispelling mana must be taught carefully and precisely, to avoid these sorts of accidents.

Of course, hurling raw mana is not the only means a Spirit mage has to do harm. Refined mana can be aimed as a bolt, striking at an opponent without the extra flair of turning it into an element. Barely-contained raw mana can be set into a non-mage, where it will eventually burst out violently -- non-mages being ill-equipped to contain mana -- doing massive damage both to the immediate target and to anyone around them. Under certain circumstances, those struck by the explosion may also fall victim to a similar effect.

Lastly, a Spirit mage may commune with corpses for a variety of purposes. It would be incorrect to say they commune with the dead, because they do not speak with the fallen, but use the corpses left behind. A Spirit mage can draw upon wisps -- tiny, spirits with little will or intention of their own -- to control corpses for certain basic purposes. Often, these risen cannot speak, but they are able to walk, in most cases, and are often able to use tools they were able to use when they were alive. It is unclear, since they do not speak, whether this is the spirit drawing memory from the corpse, or simply the spirit having a grand and total knowledge of the designs of men. Corpses may also be converted to mana, hastening the decomposition and drawing off the energy released to power spells.

* * *

### Necromancy

The school of Necromancy is, as might be seen from its name, based on the magics surrounding the dead, from converting corpses to energy to raising their bodies in action. Obviously, Necromancy draws upon spells attached to other schools, to some extent, but not all necromantic magics exist outside the distinctly Nevarran tradition of the Mortalitasi. Very few mages will directly manifest a talent for Necromancy, with more coming to it as a choice from Spirit, Entropy, or sometimes Creation. A Necromancer is nearly always in the presence of spirits, or outside the Nevarran tradition, demons, as either can be used to raise the dead, but as with all mages who consort with creatures of the Fade, they must be closely observed for signs of possession.

The most basic skills a Necromancer has are those for changing the corpses of the recently dead into mana or life energy. A Necromancer can restore themselves by drawing on the residual energies of a corpse, leaving behind a skeleton, when they are finished. While this replenishment cannot be used directly on others, those who also practise Creation or Spirit Healing can use the recovered mana to make healing others smoother and swifter process.

Like Spirit mages, Necromancers also frequently draw on the power of the spirits -- not the power of the Fade, itself, in this case, but its inhabitants, who often gather where there is suffering. Care must be taken to distinguish between spirits and demons, as helpful spells can go hideously awry, if cast with a demon's power. Demons take their payment swiftly, but spirits seem to truly want to assist the living -- particularly spirits of Compassion, who are drawn to healers and the dying. The ability to draw upon spirits may be a Necromantic speciality, but it can affect spells of any school a Necromancer is versed in. Still, this is frowned upon, in most of Thedas, as it often brings demons to press against the Veil.

But, the school of Necromancy is most famed for animating the bodies of the dead, most often using spirits said to have been pushed across the veil by the death. The Mortalitasi teach that when the spirits of the living return to the Maker's side, they displace the Fade's native inhabitants. Whether or not this is true, ancient burial grounds and crypts are frequently places where the Veil is thinner and spirits and demons are more able to push through it. The Mortalitasi believe that animating fresh corpses is rude, both to the memory of the deceased and to the spirit invited to inhabit the body. Instead, the Grand Necropolis is filled with the preserved and wrapped bodies of heroes and kings, prepared to make them last longer and accept new spirits more easily. Those who are less particular about their politesse in necromantic matters may forcefully draw spirits, demons, or wisps (which seem to be neither of those things, as they lack purpose) into the recently deceased. At times, unpreserved corpses inhabited by demons may speak, but only if they are fresh enough to still have tongues. Demons, being demons, have little of use to offer, and are quickly slain, before they are able to wreak havoc. A Necromancer must be merciless, in this. There are rumours, and it is only rumour that reaches into the Circles, that spirit-possessed corpses may speak, as well. That they may, at times, have some oracular talent or speak from the memory of the dead -- whether only the owner of the body or the memories of the collective dead of Thedas, I do not know. But, this is rare and dangerous, according to the stories, and one may, in calling and binding a spirit, pull a demon across, in its place. Outside the safety of Mortalitasi ritual, it is advised to use only wisps, which seem to take direction as easily as the Tranquil, though they lack even that much sense.

The Mortalitasi, and thus the school of Necromancy, also teaches the binding of spirits and demons to more than just full corpses. It is said, for instance, that the last teachings of the Mortalitasi -- those not taught outside their order -- must be learned from the spirit of an elder mage of the order who has passed on, bound to a ritually-prepared skull. Rumour has it that this is the only way in which those traditions are passed, and the young Mortalitasi must prove their worth by performing the ritual and correctly preparing the skull for use. More than that, even outside the order, many Necromancers have fallen to the lure of Spellbinding, a dangerous ancient Tevinter tradition of binding many weak spirits or demons to a single object, in preparation for using their power for other things. As this is something we frown upon in the Southern Chantry -- pulling single spirits through the Veil is dangerous enough -- I will speak no more of it, but to urge young Necromancers to avoid this. It is far too easy to draw a demon, and should it break its bindings... Particularly dangerous when we are speaking of the potential for many demons in a small space.

Lastly, it should be noted that a Necromancer of particular talents can speak directly to the spirits of the deceased, without binding them, but the corpse, or some part of it, seems to still be necessary in most cases. The fresher the death and the more striking the death, the more likely there is to be a spirit to call upon. Someone who passes, untroubled, in their sleep, for instance, is less likely to remain on this side of the Veil, but those who die violently and with passion or regret may be more easily communicated with. It should be pointed out, as always, that the spirits of the dead are frequently easily confused and prone to lashing out, if left unbound and not driven through the Veil, so this art should not be used for more than a few basic questions, and those that are likely to offend the spirit should be avoided. Even the non-magical dead gain an ability to draw small demons through the Veil, it seems, if they are sufficiently upset.

* * *

### Entropy

Entropy magic is, at its essence, the opposite of Creation. Where Creation heals and refreshes, Entropy curses and drains. The school shares some spells -- those related to death and the dead -- with Necromancy, but Entropy provides far more than just that. Some spells decrease resistances, others impair perception and memory. While Spirit magic works with mana, Entropy works with life itself. The two in combination are a terrifying force to be reckoned with. However, early manifestations of Entropy are not always simple to detect. The draining branch is often the starting point, meaning that the magic may go unnoticed or that it will be mistaken for Creation, when a child never stays injured for long. The distinguishing factor might have been the exhaustion of people around the young mage, but the age of manifestation nearly always produces exhausted parents, even for non-mage children.

At its simplest, Entropy magic debilitates, lowering resistances and making wounds worse. In this branch, it causes no direct damage, but simply weakens the target, making any harm inflicted that much more serious. These debilitating spells are often referred to as hexes, in older texts, separating them from the beneficial magics of other schools. Hexes may also cause mild confusion -- sudden forgetfulness or instants of distraction in critical moments -- or even temporary paralysis of an individual or group.

The next branch builds off that mild confusion, bringing it out into the realm of nightmare. The confusion becomes far more severe, in some cases causing the target to harm themselves or mistake friends for foes. Another spell allows a target to be cursed with fear, causing them to flee or cower in terror, where they might have been secure in their valour an instant before. These terrors can be made severe enough that creatures of the near Fade gather to feed off them, harming the target in the process. The true nightmare comes when a target is put to sleep -- the sleep can be a quiet one, a friendly nap, but it is more often the entry to a gallery of horrors shaped from the fabric of the near Fade and visited upon the dreamer. It should be noted that unlike the ancient Tevinter Sominiari, an Entropy mage cannot visit the Fade to produce these creations, but forces the mind of their target to do the work for them.

The final branch of this school, as it is taught in the Circle, are the draining spells. These spells slowly leach the life force from the target. At first, a mage pursuing this branch can only leach life from a living target -- drawing out the life of another to heal themselves. But, with some training, they can be taught to convert the dead to replenish themselves, much as spirit mages use corpses to produce mana. A particular hex is separated from the rest and included here, instead of with the others, as it does not simply debilitate, but simultaneously harms. The target is afflicted in cycles, over a moment or two, drawing their life force into the Entropy mage, but the hex ensures that during this process, no means of healing or regeneration will work on them, and thus it becomes a simple matter to draw away life until the target's death. A final spell in this branch does not restore the health of the caster, but merely leaches life from all who stumble into the dark fog of it, wearing them down further as time passes.

One final spell is the true culmination of the school of Entropy: the Entropic Cloud. Like the cloud above, it appears as a dark fog, but it acts with a lesser strength of all spells in the school, striking each unfortunate victim with a different combination of effects. Alone against a group of opponents, this spell can result in complete chaos, as the hexes and confusion take hold, the draining sustaining the caster and driving the confused opponents to believe someone near them is causing them harm. Many deadly riots have been started with this spell, and I encourage those with the power to negate magic to remember always that this can be dispelled.

\-- From _First Principles of Magic_ , by Enchanter Mariota of Perendale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Sources:
> 
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_spells_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_spells_%28Origins%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_spells_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_spells_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_abilities_(Inquisition)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_abilities_%28Inquisition%29)
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Necromancer>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Spellbinder>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mortalitasi>
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Entropy_spells_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Entropy_spells_%28Origins%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Entropy_spells_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Entropy_spells_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
> 

> 
> 1\. Necromancy is Entropy with all the good spells filed off, canonically. Which is dumb, because man, there's so much suggested about the Mortalitasi that would be so much more than that. So, we've tried to correct the failure to do Necromancy properly in Inquisition. Codex:Spellbinder is an excellent example of something that's only mentioned in passing.


	24. Essential Non-Creation Spells for Healers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpts from Beyond Creation: Healing Spells for Clinics without Healers, by Enchanter Inella of Kirkwall

Though we often think of healing as being a skill confined to mages who specialise in Creation or Spirit Healing, there are many other necessities for a properly-functioning infirmary, things that are not healing, per se, but can help a healer care for a patient. Below, I have broken these things into sections based on which spells can address which needs. You will notice that I also mention some magics that are forbidden by the Chantry and all men good and right, but I include them in the hope of luring those who have wandered off the path of righteousness back into the joy of good deeds, even by suspect methods. These will be marked with a star. If you do not have these skills, I beg you not to pursue them. If you do have them, please use them to aid your fellows instead of doing harm.  
  


### Problem: Patient will not stay still

Entropy provides two solutions to this problem that will prevent further damage being done with physical restraints. The first, Sleep, is preferred, as it prevents the patient having any knowledge of their own pain while the healers repair the problem. However, sometimes the patient will still thrash, even in a magical sleep, and that is when Paralyze becomes useful, freezing the patient in place, until the healing can be completed. Most often, these are useful in cases of broken bones or objects lodged in the body -- when the patient must be still and permit the healer to set the bone or cut in to take the object out, before the damage can be repaired. DO NOT use the Primal spell Petrify, as turning the patient to stone will not assist in the healing process.  
  


### Problem: Excessive bleeding

Arcane provides Time Spiral, which slows the passage of time for the people around the caster, enabling a mage to work at what seems to be a much higher speed. This can provide more time to deal with rapid blood loss. It is said that in Tevinter, there is a different spell which actually causes the caster to move more quickly, but I have not seen it in action. Winter's Grasp, an Elemental spell, provides a burst of cold that can be used to slow bleeding, but not stop it. Diversion, also an elemental spell, can be used to temporarily halt the flow of blood in the same way that it is used to turn aside or halt the flow of water, but be warned that stopping the blood from flowing for too long will cause swelling and eventually death, so this should be used in combination with Time Spiral or Haste to ensure the healing is complete before the patent dies of _not_ bleeding.  
  
* There is a type of blood magic that can be used in the same way as Diversion, with the same warnings. Blood magic can also be used to hasten scabbing or, in some cases, heal wounds on people other than the caster.  
  


### Problem: Patient has foreign objects lodged in hard to reach places/objects are too slick or small to hold

Force magic allows one to both push and pull without needing to get fingers or tools to grip an object. With sufficient control, anything from splinters to shrapnel to arrows can be removed with the same spells used to move a cup of tea down the table.  
  


### Problem: Patient has ticks, lice, or mites

This is a common problem when working with patients from Darktown, and the Primal school offers Spark as the perfect solution. A lighter version of the more common Lightning spell, Spark can temporarily electrify metal objects, like combs or wands, that can then be drawn through the hair or over the afflicted body parts, causing the infestation to die, while giving no more than an intense tingle to the patient. After the Spark treatment, the patient should be bathed, to ensure any remains are washed away, and those treating the patient should also undertake the Spark treatment for themselves, to ensure they have not been afflicted. If possible, the patient's clothing should be burned and replaced, before too many people come into contact with it. Send the patient home with a comb set with a Spark rune to discourage reinfection. The more of those combs we get into Darktown, the less of an epidemic this will be.  
  
* Ticks, in particular, will rupture when subjected to a particular type of blood magic, at a low intensity.  
  


### Problem: Swelling will not subside

If swelling is interfering with other treatment, such as setting a bone or joint, it can be lessened by the application of ice. Wrap the swollen area with a sheet of garment leather to protect the skin, and then cast Winter's Grasp, an Elemental spell, at very low intensity, on the leather. Leave that for a short time, no more than an hour by the candle, but set the bones immediately when it comes off, because the swelling may become worse, afterward, if you do not take advantage of the moment.  
  


### Problem: Cramping

Cramping can often be reduced with the application of heat, such as that in the Elemental spell Warm Hands. While a warm-runed stone is the best treatment, Warm Hands can be used on the cramped area in a circular motion, until the muscles release. Sometimes, having the patient drink hot tea will help, if the cramping is in the belly. In the case of belly cramping, check for other things that might be causing the cramps, like pregnancy, vomiting, inexplicable swelling, or pain -- these can be signs of a serious problem that requires a true healer. If warmth does not help or is not available, consider using Primal's Spark to tease the muscles into easing their grip.  
  


### Problem: Frosted extremities

Unsurprisingly, Warm Hands will do wonders, here, but it must be used with caution. Place the afflicted part in a bowl of water and heat that over half an hour to bring the skin back up to the expected temperature. Warming too quickly may cause swelling and splitting of the skin. If the entire body is chilled past what can be fixed with a blanket and a cup of broth, use a whole bath and damp rags for the face. Offer room-temperature drinks before anything warm, to give the body the opportunity to adjust and avoid internal swelling.  
  
\-- Excerpts from _Beyond Creation: Healing Spells for Clinics without Healers_ , by Enchanter Inella of Kirkwall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of these solutions are fucking terrible ideas, but they're based on common trends in folk medicine. Thedas hasn't got the grip on biology or germ theory that we have in the modern world, partially because autopsy and surgery are banned in a lot of places because of concerns about blood magic.
> 
> **References:**
> 
>   * [The minor magics post](https://penbrydd.tumblr.com/post/157167424138/yall-at-some-point-i-have-seen-at-least-one-and)
>   * [Spells (Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spells_\(Origins\))
>   * [Spells (DA2)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Spells_\(Dragon_Age_II\))
>   * [Spells (Inquisition)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Abilities_\(Inquisition\)#Mage_abilities)
> 



	25. On the Use of Magic in Common Tasks (1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of short snippets displaying the common, public-facing uses of magic and runework in Thedosian living and industry.

### Books and Information Storage

  
_From the desk of the librarian of the Choir of Silence:_  
Gentlemen, for the seven hundredth time, do not shelve codices with your bare hands. It confuses the automata. Leave them on the shelving table, so the Silent Eye can recognise the titles and check them back in, before they are sorted back into the stacks.

* * *

  
_A series of notes found tattered in a ruined shrine:_  
Octavian,  
Have you lost your mind? Why would you copy that by hand? Send it back to me or give it to Marius, and one of us will have it done by morning!  
  
Dumat bless your poor head! What were you thinking? Four thousand pages, and you can't even read the language!  
\-- Bib. Peristratos  
  
Bibliothecarius,  
I copy it by hand, instead of using the spells that would duplicate it perfectly because I don't speak the language, and I'm trying to learn it as I go. I can only hope that being immersed in these elven words will spark something in my mind, that I might remember them, later.  
\-- Octavian  
  
Octavian,  
It's utterly inspirational that you have chosen to pursue a study of a dead language that has so many secrets to offer us, but that doesn't change the fact that the book is deteriorating, and I desperately need a clean copy that can be put on the shelves and another to send back to Minrathous. Copy it the easy way a couple of times, and leave those on my desk, and I'll leave you to make your own copy in your copious free time.  
\-- Bib. Peristratos

* * *

* * *

### Glassmaking

  
_From a glazier's essay on the change in glass quality in Marothius:_  
I have seen with my own eyes that glass is still made, in this age, with no magic at all, and often it is very fine work, excepting on the matter of windows, in which the evenness of the pane and its stability are the foremost concerns. The Ciriane slaves brought from the south make beautiful bottles and beads, but their panes are simply not suitable for use in public works. They blow the glass into monstrous tubes, which they then slice and flatten with a roller, leading to low-quality glass, mostly opaque and stranded with bubbles. Some shops will blow it round and spin the bubble flat, leading to thick-centred wheels with too-delicate edges, all of it streaky and not fit for looking through.  
  
But, in the shops that use magic, we are able to maintain a stable high temperature, burning away the impurities that prevent a clear glass. Magical flame is far easier to control and maintain than any of the natural sorts, and the temperature is minutely adjustable across a range that cannot be achieved with natural fuels. Using shields and barriers, we shape the molten glass into the thinnest sheets available or into temple glass that can divert even a dragon's claw. We have no spills, because the seal is always perfect and relies on nothing but the glazier's will. We have no trouble with the glass adhering to the mould, for nothing adheres long to a thing so easily dispelled. The introduction of drakestone vapour during the casting creates a surface far more difficult to scratch, but in a shop without magic, there is no easy way to apply it evenly to the glass, so magical finishes are far superior.

* * *

  
_A note found tucked between pages on the desk of the Marquis of Alyons:_  
There is a strong case that Serault's Glassworks is employing apostates -- yet another reason they'd be kept as close as they are. One can't have that kind of talent walking freely in the streets. But, as best I know, there's no way to produce the quality of glass that comes out of Serault with the tools and techniques available to glaziers anywhere else in Thedas. I have heard the Empress's arcane advisor has been sent to Serault, to study at the Glassworks. What would a mage study, there, if not some hidden magical school, illegal by its very existence outside the walls of the Circle? Even if it can't be proven, the accusation may be enough to remove Serault permanently from consideration, reverting the lands to Alyons.

* * *

* * *

### Construction and Architectural Restoration

  
_From a speech given at the dedication of the Tower of Ishal:_  
When our forefathers learned to build with stone, it was from the dwarves, who call themselves the 'children of the stone'. We could have chosen no better instructors, but even the finest dwarven architecture requires far more effort than is needed for the result. It is only through integrating those dwarven principles of shape and support with our own knowledge of magic that true excellence could be achieved. This outpost will stand ten thousand years!  
  
_Builders' notes from the first restoration attempt at Ostagar, after the Second Blight, found caught between two pages of a treaty with a Dalish clan:_  
It's an impression of dwarfwork, but it's a shitty one. My foreman tells me the stone was shaped with magic, rather than tools, and each piece is precisely measured and perfectly shaped. The only problem is that the ground wasn't. Or maybe it was, but nobody thought to make sure it would stay in place. This thing went up in a hurry, as far as stone-on-stone fortresses go, and you can see it in the stupid shortcuts-- like binding the stones together instead of levelling the ground for a bowing wall. At least I assume the wall was bowing. Most of the stones aren't melded together like that, and in the end, it didn't help long enough. It's like no one bothered to survey before they started building, and I have to wonder if that arrogance isn't why half the buildings in Minrathous are held up by the sticks up the Magisters' asses rather than proper reinforcements.  
  
Technically, we could salvage the place, but my recommendation is going to be to take one of the buildings farther afield and convert it for our own uses. As Grey Wardens, we have the mages to do it quickly, but we also have surveyors, to make sure we do it right -- pound the ground flat, shape the stones to lock together, lift them into place, mortar as necessary. We're not going to make the mistakes Tevinter did, down here, but we're also not at war with the locals.  
  
_Scrawled in the margins, in a bolder, newer ink:_  
I don't care how much magic you have, it doesn't change the fact you're building on a fucking swamp. This building is shit, and I'm glad we're leaving it.

* * *

  
_From Master Brosca's manual on using magic in new development and restoration:_  
Check the ground. I can't say that enough. You surfacers live with this deranged expectation that the ground under your feet is immovable. Well, surprise! It's not. Give it a couple hundred years, and it's going to take a walk, but the best way to prevent that is to hammer the shit out of it. I suggest getting a strong force mage with a level and a plumb and letting them use the sky to punch the ground until it stops shifting. If you don't have a force mage, consult an earth mage. It'll take longer, but they can do better work on things like cliff edges and mountainsides where a force mage might drop you into the sea.  
  
When you're cutting blocks, keep in mind that every stone has an internal structure, just like wood, and if you cut it the wrong way, it's going to crumble when you put weight on it. The same holds for shaping blocks with magic -- make sure your structure lines up so it doesn't shear or crunch. You don't get to cheat on that just because you're not using a chisel.  
  
Use your force mage to lift things into place! If you cut or shaped them right, they'll go right together, and you don't have to worry about whether you've got equipment that can support it, just that your mage has had a nap recently and the rest of your wall is solid.  
  
Earth mages are great for getting mortar into things without getting it on everything else! They can also repair broken stone components in restorations -- you're not getting better than seamless.

* * *

* * *

### Farming

  
_From Farming with Magic, by Warden Seymour Buttz of Amaranthine, 9:37 Dragon:_  
When preparing the field, first sweep it with Entropy. Drain life works well, here. You want to make sure nothing still has live roots in that earth. Next, break up the earth and blend the top six or eight inches -- a mild earthquake should serve. Ice or Summoning should get you some water to moisten the earth with as you churn it. Also take leavings from the last harvest and manure and mix those in. While you're doing that, look out for stones; pull those out and set them aside.  When it's all evenly moisturised and looks the same colour, smooth it out and add channels for easy irrigation (see diagram on following page).  
  
For planting, you want Earth magic to open up evenly spaced holes to drop seeds into. You might have to do the actual seeding by hand, unless there's some Tevinter magic for that that I don't know about. Once the seeds are laid in, close the ground over them and water as appropriate to the crop.  
  
While the crops are growing, you will want to tend them with more than just water. If you have arranged your field properly, most weeds can be removed with Entropy or small jolts of lightning. Certain other Entropy spells will work on bugs, but not on plants. You can usually confuse the bugs out of the field or convince them to fight each other instead of eating the plants. Your best defence against animals is still walls and maybe runes. A shield rune that stretches a couple feet down into the earth should keep the moles out. Be careful using Earth magic to create solid stone barriers _under_ your fields, as tempting as that may be, because it'll totally screw up your drainage and the field will probably wash out.  
  
At harvest time, barrier is nearly necessary, and Force or Storm magic can be used to shake most ripe grains and vegetables free of the stalks. Push everything to one place in the barrier and then hold a sack under it and dispel. Once the field is cleared, the sacks can be sorted, if need be, into grain and chaff by using clerical spells like those used for sorting documents -- grain goes into one pile, everything else goes into the other. A similar process can also be used to sort fruit by size.  
  
After the harvest, remove what other parts of the plants you need for other projects, and then using the methods described for preparing the field, destroy the plants and turn them under, to return the remaining nutrients to the soil.


	26. On the Use of Magic in Common Tasks (2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of short snippets describing the common, public-facing uses of magic and runework in Thedosian living and industry.

### Hunting & Fishing

  
_From an interview with a Circle-trained huntress, after the fall of the southern Circles:_  
Pfft. You can't hunt with fire. What you can hunt with is lightning. You hit something in the head with a solid bolt and it's pretty likely not getting back up. If you hit it while it's drinking, it's doubly not getting back up. If you're hunting small game, like flocks of pigeons, you can hit them all at once. They're small. It doesn't take as much power, and if you hit them hard enough, they'll all cook before they hit the ground. Lunch for the whole family in a few seconds.   
  
And that's the thing -- if you can kill a thing and cook it without breaking the skin, you've got something that's easy to sell to people who don't want to start a fire, because it's a fucking Ander summer and who wants to cook in that? All it needs is to be stripped down and rolled in a bit of salt and herbs, while it's still warm, and it'll stay warm a while with the skin still on. It's the juiciest meat you'll ever eat, too, because there's nowhere for the moisture to go. Rip that up, roll it in spices, and wrap it in some flat bread with a little sauce and salad, and it's the easiest lunch you ever made.

* * *

  
_Part of an elven inscription, presumably involving Andruil and Ghilan'nain teaching hunters:_  
You may eat of what I give you, but you must kill it cleanly and without suffering. Let the spirit of every living thing be granted swift passage to Falon'Din's side. Do not obstruct the spirit, lest I obstruct your path one day.  
  
Let your will be strong and your hands steady, when you strike down any thing. Your arrows will not miss the mark, if your knowledge of the mark is complete. You have form, as the creatures of the wood, and yet, you are made of so much more. Let your eye aim your bow, let your hand not waver. Strengthen your will, before you loose it. In surety, you will strike only as you mean to.  
  
Take from the wood no more than you need. Be unselfish, but do not be wasteful. As we have given you form and skill, so can we draw it back, should you choose to -- ( _here the stone is damaged irreparably. there is no way to tell what was written before or after this section._ )

* * *

  
_From a guide to magical fishing, by Enchanter Sweeney of Kinloch Hold:_  
You'd think, if you were a decently smart man, that you could set a fireball under the water and just boil the fish and scoop them off the top of the lake. But, you'd be wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Fire's not quick enough, and they all swim away.  
  
Lightning works, some of the time, but it'll hit anything else that's wet, including you, if you're standing too close to the edge of the lake. Why, one time, when I was younger, that Nevarran fool and I -- what was his name? Eugene? Alphard? -- we went to the lake to get a fish for supper and he hit the fish, but spent the night in the infirmary. I was standing on a rock, so it missed me.  
  
Of course, if you had Force magic, not that anyone around here does any more -- Do they still teach that, or are they worried about the apprentices ripping the doors off? But, if you had it, you could just throw the fish out of the water into a bucket and then hit them with lightning or fire. They'd cook up quick and easy like that.

* * *

* * *

### Rubbish and Nightsoil Disposal

  
_Notes taped to the side of a Tevinter nightsoil hauler's cart:_  
Cesspools and compost can be moved with earth, water, or force, but don't use too much force, or it'll go everywhere instead of into the casks.  
  
Cesspits can be emptied with water or force, but don't use earth or you'll fuck up the walls and cave it in.  
  
Buckets and pots just dump in the cask. No magic, except maybe a shield in case it splashes.  
  
Deliver full casks at the first bell of the new week to the dwarven enclave near Vyrantium.

* * *

  
_A plaque on the side of a public compactor in Minrathous:_  
ERUDERO RUBBISH COMPACTOR UNIT  
This compactor takes #5 pressure runes and Lysistratus Heffalump lyrium power crystals.  
  
_Scrawled next to it in lip rouge:_  
To whoever put a CRUSHER rune in here, last week, I hope someone puts one on your head. We almost had to replace the entire unit. READ THE INFORMATION PLAQUES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE PARTS or at least LOOK AT THE PART YOU TOOK OUT! They're not even the same colour!

* * *

  
_Part of an editorial on the ring of slums expanding outward from Carastes:_  
The most often requested resource, for these tribes of wretched Soporati is public trash compactors, in the crusher style. Crusher compactors produce airtight blocks of garbage that are resistant to decomposition, due to their density, and can be used to construct the hovels in which these miscreants live. Better for all Tevinter that they should accept their place and sell themselves into the nearest Altus household, than to continue to believe they can live on nothing but garbage, constructing villages of waste in the lees of our own proud and ancient cities.

* * *

* * *

### Cooking

  
_An advertisement taped to the wall of the message office in Hossberg:_  
Dwarven-Made Runic Kitchens! Straight from Kal-Sharok!  
  
Does your mutton spoil before you've had a chance to cook it? Are you tired of having to make cheese out of leftover goat milk, every day? Try our "ice boxes"! With dwarven runic technology, we can provide a frosty repository to keep your food fresh! Our artisans ensure that every ice box seals tight, keeping the cold in and bugs and summer heat out! Now in sizes to suit any from the single student to an entire noble estate!  
  
Are you tired of burning your bread? Fear not! We offer the new constant heat oven! It will cook your bread to perfection, every time! Our runes maintain a consistent temperature at all times -- no more waiting for the oven to heat, accidentally overheating it, or accidentally letting it go out! And more -- our constant heat ovens seal the heat in! No more heating your whole house, just to make a casserole! Now you can have roast at midday in the summer! Our constant heat ovens are available in three temperatures, which will cover most common cooking needs -- just pick the one that suits your cooking style!  
  
* For a small fee, we offer special services to design the best possible combinations of cooling and heating appliances for large kitchens. If you're concerned about whether your estate or public kitchen can fit our ice boxes or ovens, let us take a look and show you what we can do!

* * *

* * *

### Consumer-Grade Runework

  
_Sign in a shop window in Denerim:_  
Yes! We sell RUNES  
  
The finest dwarven runework, straight from Orzammar! We sell only the best! Our runes are guaranteed to have been crafted in the forges of Orzammar by genuine dwarven smiths! No Carta-work here!  
  
Don't burn your hands on kitchen pans or hot metal from the forge! Get our drakeskin gloves with fire-resistant runes!  
  
Our gardening gloves kill weeds dead! You'll feel like you haven't worked at all!  
  
Someone you love going on a pilgrimage? Put a shield rune in their coat to protect them from highwaymen!  
  
_Scrawled on the window in grease pencil:_  
Support your local dwarven community. Buy from Gorim in the market instead

* * *

  
_From a paper presented in Cumberland, on the benefits to a joint Lucrosian-Libertarian venture:_  
The Wonders of Thedas is a venture, primarily, of the Lucrosian fraternity, who hold that with enough money and economic pull, mages can essentially purchase some degree of respectability, or at least  that nice wine from Lydes, which is almost as good. Formari from both Kinloch Hold and Jainen serve to sell goods and keep the store stocked with goods crafted in the Circles as well as bizarre historical artefacts often purchased from adventurers. (Which I could go on about for hours, seeing as nearly none of these things are properly attributed and at least half are obvious fakes made with modern materials.) But, it is the single source, in Ferelden, for the most powerful runes publicly available under the law, as well as a wide variety of items featuring those runes, sometimes in entertaining combinations, like the self-warming teapot that resists cooling or a wonderful coat that protects a bit against everything except getting punched in the face.  
  
Of course, these goods are mostly out of the price range of the average Fereldan, even those living in Denerim, which is why the Libertarian Fraternity argues the prices should be lowered until the average Bran on the street can own a non-heirloom magical object. The aim is not to maximise profit, but to make the concept of magic less frightening to the general public, so that they will be in a better position to argue that mages deserve the same rights as any Fereldan citizen -- which, it should be noted, mages are not. The manifestation of magic in any Andrastian nation, with the notable exception of Tevinter and the backwaters of Rivain, strips one of all citizenships and all rights and responsibilities conveyed by them. Mages may not leave the Circle, but they also do not pay taxes or tithes, though the Lucrosians would be quick to argue that, as a group, they certainly could, but that price would need to negotiate some much better rewards from the Crown.


	27. A Consideration on the Nature of Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _A Consideration on the Nature of Spirits_ , by [Senior Enchanter Ashling of Jainen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560), 9:35 Dragon.

When speaking of spirits, it is common to presume one means spirits of the Fade. However, it would be a mistake to believe these are the only spirits that exist in our wide and wonderful world. Spirits of the forest have been attested as recently as 9:30 Dragon, by the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, herself a mage of no small skill, also acquainted with spirits of the Fade. Rumours out of Orzammar for hundreds of years have told of the 'Stone' speaking to Paragons and lyrium-miners. And, of course, we have the tales of the spirits of the dead, like the legend of Eleni Zinovia, whose statue still stands in the cellar of Kinloch Hold. Let us ask ourselves, then, what constitutes a 'spirit' and what forms and powers they may manifest.

Spirits of the Fade are simple to define. Magical texts have spoken consistently of them for thousands of years. They are the embodiment of human virtue -- Hope, Mercy, Justice, and Valour, to name a few. The inverse of these spirits are demons, which embody human vice and plagues -- Rage, Pride, Despair, and Fear, although this dramatically simplifies the matter, as Enchanter Mirdromel points out. It is merely our perception of the nature of virtue and vice that distinguishes between 'spirit' and 'demon', when in fact, all of them are Fade-dwelling embodiments of human ideals. However, they are, on the whole, whether spirit or demon, confined to the Fade, unless in some way summoned into our world. It is said that blood and suffering call to demons, but that spirits are drawn by the exercise of virtue and kindness. In fact, the Avvar, as Brother Genitivi has written, call spirits to themselves as gods of a sort, through lengthy ceremonies demonstrating the virtue they wish to see embodied.

Spirits of the world are a bit more difficult to define, overall. We have only intermittent stories of things that may well have come from the Fade, whatever they believe about themselves. The 'Lady of the Forest', documented by Warden-Commander Solona Amell, of Ferelden, is among these, and the one of which we have the most knowledge, as this spirit was encountered inside the last decade. According to Commander Amell's account, the lady claimed to be the spirit of the Brecilian Forest, itself -- a 'spirit of the wood', bound into the form of a wolf, by an ill-tempered Dalish mage. This spirit, in particular, believed the forest and its fertiliy to be dependent on her presence.

Reports from the Deep Roads lend credence to the idea that as little connection as dwarves have with the Fade, they do have spirits all their own. Varying Wardens, over the years, have brought back stories of things that may have been spirits or demons, as we would know them, but in strange and unrecognisable forms. The dwarves, themselves, speak of the spirits being native to the Stone -- of themselves being native to the Stone, and the legends say their own spirits return to the stone in death.

In particular, the Deep Roads have yielded two types of creatures that might be regarded as spirits. First, the 'gangue shades', said to be the spirits of the noxious materials in the Stone, and more literally, the stone. They seem to be the demons of the dwarves, embodying that which is worst in dwarven nature. As I write this, I have a transcription of a rubbing taken from an ancient inscription attributed to the Legion of the Dead, which attributes both the good and ill of dwarven nature to external forces -- the right actions to the guidance of the Stone and the selfish and ill-meant to 'darkness' of the gangue.

The other spirit-creature of note in the Deep Roads are called 'rock wraiths', which are said to be the spirits of dwarves rejected by the Stone. First, this brings out that despite their lack of connection to the Fade, that dwarves are not without some sort of spirit which gives them life and sentiment. That the dwarves have these has never been in question, but it has long puzzled the students of the Fade familiar with the Tranquil and the nature of our own kind cut off from the Fade. Still, the spirits of some dwarves seem to haunt the Deep Roads in the form of strange, glowing creatures made of fragmented stone. This author ventures that it is odd that a creature rejected by the Stone would rise up clothed in stone, but perhaps it is the fragmented nature of the material that provides the clue -- perhaps it is not the stone of the Stone, but the waste rock, the gangue, that they wear.

Spirits of those passed are also attested in human and elven lore, though rarely so physically as the dwarven spirits. Creatures called 'ash wraiths' are said to be created by means of a ritual involving self-immolation with a particular type of sacred object. The method, however, appears to be Tevinter, and however it may once have been practised in the south, it is practised here no longer, and the method has been lost. Only the lingering wraiths remain.

Less violently, perhaps, the spirit of the seer Eleni Zinovia was captured in a statue, while she still lived, thus ending the life of her body but continuing her consciousness and her prophecy to the modern day, as the statue survived the disaster she predicted for her lover, Archon Valerius. She resides, to this day, in the vaults of Kinloch Hold, where she recites incomprehensible strands of things to come to any who visit her and ask. Again, the method of the binding is lost in the south, and in this case, likely lost in Tevinter, as well, since Valerius, who performed the ritual, was slain, presumably without imparting the knowledge to any apprentice outside his fortress, who might have survived the assault. If it was well known, it is no longer practised, in Tevinter, and at the very least, it was lost to the Blights.

Tales are told, among the elves, of the spirit leaving the flesh and returning, and at more distance than simply visiting the Fade in dreams. It is said that the most ancient of elves laid down to sleep the long sleep of 'Uthenera', in which the spirit would leave the body and journey in the Fade for months and even years at a time. And some, it is said, would return from that state, to take on the bodies they had left behind, and lead the people with new knowledge. Again, sadly, we have little confirmation of this, aside from a tale told by some who travelled with Warden-Commander Amell, of an ancient elven funeral chamber that carried instructions on the walls for how to care for the bodies of those who might return. Whether they ever did return, we do not know, but the stories are common enough among the Dalish to lend some credence to the assertion, even if the magic is lost to us, now.

So many secrets of the world, it seems, have been lost to conquest and the advance of the Blight, that it serves us to publish often and broadly on what discoveries and re-discoveries we have made. The further the texts reach, the harder it will be to lose the learning in them. I can only hope that one day, another hand will expand on the nature of spirits, as I have begun to describe it in this volume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The research for this was extensive, but not all of it was used in this text. What would this writer have access to? When was this being written? Still, the index of nearly every reference to 'spirits', outside weapon damage and descriptions of combatants in an area is available [here](https://etherpad.net/p/r.1bfc637a59908ff30346601a2091ca31).


	28. A Seer's Introduction to Her Students

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a speech given in 9:04 by Zuri Kartal to her new students.

You come to me, because there is a calling in you, and it leaps from your fingertips to be heard, to influence your life and the lives of those around you. You come to me, because I have this calling, and I have had it since I was young, like you.

Well, you can not set out on this journey without knowing where you're going and where we come from.

In the beginning, the world lived and breathed, just as you do. And it still does, now, but it's been doing it much longer than any of us. And the land you stand on is spirit given flesh. And the spirits you hear about are the formless world. They're all around you, like the sea and the land. They're in everything. And they're not so different to you and I, except in what they see and know. A great many of them -- all the ones you will meet in my home, for certain -- are good and helpful. The things they speak for are things that are good for us. But, there are other spirits that speak for things that would harm us -- and they do not do it out of a desire to do harm, but out of a different purpose that does not take our well-being into account. There are spirits who care for starving animals, who would lead them to steal our food and to eat us. They're not bad spirits, they just serve a purpose that isn't ours. Some serve the poison marsh, which is their home. Some serve the less honourable traits of man and beast. For all things in the world, there are speakers, and you must find the ones who serve the same virtues and paths you have chosen.

In the beginning of Rivain, this was the land of elves. All the land from the northern ocean to the southern snows was the land of elves. But, the elves fell away, and we came to take their place, because the spirits of the land called out to us. I hear now they are coming back to take their place among us, in the land that was theirs. We shall see how the spirits speak to them, now.

We came from far to the north, far to the west, past the mountains and the jungles. We came from the city of gold and jewels, over the sea. We came long before Andraste lived, long before the Archon's hands touched this land. Our people and our history live in the slope of every hill and the curve of every vine in what we call Rivain, and no one has ever changed that, however hard they have tried.

Tevinter came in their arrogance, threatening us with magics they said had swallowed cities, poisoning the land and its spirit with their hunger and their pride. And they stayed a long while. Their temples and fortresses still stand, guarded by the spirits who served their cause. But, their gods have fallen and they speak no more. Their seers have fallen silent, and their cities have fallen into chaos. They fought against the land, and it rejected them. When they settle with it, they will suffer no more.

The followers of Andraste came, and the first of them, we welcomed easily. They came long ago from the south, they said -- far to the south and west, from places I have never seen and they have long forgotten. They placed their faith in the father of spirits, who they believed made the world and everything in it, and they believed their kinswoman had become his bride, his speaker in the world. But, their faith was narrow, and we broadened it as we dulled the harshness of their skin. In time, they came to see that all things had speakers in the world, and they came to hear joy and graciousness, sorrow and hunger in the same way they had heard Andraste speak for the 'Father of Spirits'.

Then came the Qunari, from the north. And I have heard that in the north, the Qun is very popular, and every village still has a seer who speaks for the land and the people. The Qunari feared the touch of the calling in your hands. They bound any of their own who showed signs of it, forbidding them the counsel of the land and the spirits. But, in the north, we moved with them, and they bent as much to us as we did to them.

And then, from the south, the followers of Andraste came again, but this time they came as an empire, as conquerors. They took Dairsmuid. Or maybe we let them have it, to pacify them. They slaughtered the seers as heretics and evildoers. They destroyed our homes, our farms, and our trade, to force the Qunari off our lands. But, the followers of Andraste never had an interest in our lands, until we knew the Qun. Yes, we gave them Dairsmuid, in the hope that if we put on the mask of their faith, they would leave us. And they did. And again, every village came to have a seer, because we do not leave the world without a voice.

One day, one of you will follow in my footsteps. One of you will sit in my seat, dressed in gold and jewels. And the rest of you must advise her, when that time comes. You must let your spirits speak to her, as they speak to you. But, before then, I hope to teach you all to come to an agreement with the powers dancing in your hands, so that you may work together instead of wrestling for control. And speaking of control, I also hope to teach Jelani to stop breathing fire when he sneezes, but you have to stop blowing powders in his face, Nia.


	29. Peoples of Thedas, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpts from _Peoples of Thedas_ , by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna), 9:30 Dragon

While this focuses mainly on human cultures and languages throughout the land, elves, dwarves, and the qunari are not ignored. However, much of elven and dwarven history has been lost to the mists of time, and the qunari speak little of their origins with outsiders. Although common sentiment is that humans arrived from the north, and all mankind descended from the Neromenians, the myths and legends of the people belie that assumption, with Alamarri legends bringing them over the Frostbacks from far to the west of Orlais and Rivaini legends originating them in island cities of gold, in the seas above the Donarks.

It can be assumed, then, that there are at least three groups of human settlers who came to Thedas, a land of elves and dwarves, from elsewhere. We will call them the Neromenians (whom we already know), the Par Ladians (from the golden cities of Par Ladi), and the Alamarri (for that is what they call themselves). There may also be a fourth group, represented in the modern day by the Ander people, but we do not know where they come from, other than that their language is very much like that of the dwarves, but we will speak more of that, later.

### Par Ladians

Let us begin with the Par Ladians, for their influence has the smallest bounds. We are able to say with relative certainty that the language and customs of the people from Par Ladi are reflected in both the Yothandi, of the far northwest, and the Rivaini, of the far northeast. Both cultures rely heavily on the wisdom and magic of their 'seers', and a strong sense of community. While the languages are not quite mutually intelligible, they are sufficiently closely related that reading one can allow one to make educated assumptions at the meanings of words in the other. It is likely there was, at one time, a broader distribution of Par Ladian peoples across northern Thedas, but the expansion of the Tevinter Imperium, in the time before the Blights has erased any trace they may have left behind.

Traces of the language and culture of the people of Par Ladi can also be found among the Chasind people of the Alamarri tribes, although there it is heavily blended with an Alamarri language and religious customs that appear in other Alamarri tribes. The Chasind also have a higher number of words with Neromenian roots than the other Alamarri tribes, but more on that when we reach the Alamarri.

### Neromenians

Next we come to the Neromenians, the northern tribes we all know. We are told that the Neromenians split into four known tribes -- Neromenian, Qarinus, Tevinter, and Barindur -- each with their own city, and a slightly different dialect. Barindur, of course, comes to us only as a legend -- no trace of the city or its inhabitants remains. Aside from wild legend, there is no reason to believe Barindur existed -- all other cities have left ruins, after all -- but the stories say it was swallowed by the earth on Dumat's command. The remaining tribes were reunited by the Tevinter tribe, out of Minrathous, into the Tevinter Imperium.

Affecting the change from the Neromenian language to Tevene, we have the introduction of dwarves and a dwarven embassy -- the Ambassadoria -- to the city of Minrathous. It is from the trade pidgin that developed between dwarven and Tevinter merchants that we get the Common tongue. Around this time, the new Imperium decided to try itself against the elven city of Arlathan, and after destroying it -- again, legends say it was swallowed by the earth, like Barindur -- the Imperium captured many elves and magical artefacts. Many Tevene words for magic have elven roots, as a result of this period of exploitation of ancient elven knowledge.

From Ancient Tevene, this mixture of Neromenian, Dwarven, and Elven, we get both Modern Tevene and, a bit further south, Antivan, which has a few Rivaini features. The Antivan language truly parted from Tevene after the First Blight, when the Imperium fell back, taking its grammarians along. Still, the Antivan language remains the closest relation to Tevene.

Another branch of the Neromenian language -- not a language that factored into Tevene -- travelled south, into central Orlais, where it combined with another language and became Ciriane, and then Orlesian. But, more on that when we speak of the other root.

### Alamarri

The Alamarri, it is said, fled some grand cataclysm in their home, across the Sea of Ash, which may have been less ashy, at the time. They claim to have been fleeing the wrath of a shadow goddess, but the goddess remains unnamed in the legends that have survived. One wonders if the cataclysm may not have been responsible for the impassable nature of that place, in the modern day. The tribe spread up through Ferelden, after crossing the Frostback Mountains, and divided into other tribes as time passed.

The Alamarri languages are fairly closely related, each with a different external influence. Chasind, far to the south, is the least Alamarri of the Alamarri languages. It has a large number of Par Ladian and Neromenian root words, for an Alamarri language, and the position of the tribe, so far to the south, leads one to wonder about that relation. I propose, then, they are actually the displaced people from some northern locale. They are often more similar in colour to the people of Rivain than to the tribes immediately surrounding them, and the abundance of influence from the two northern languages supports the idea these may be the people from a smaller Neromenian tribe, driven south, perhaps by Tevinter expansion. That would account for the relatively limited Alamarri vocabulary in a superficially Alamarri tribe.

The Avvar language, spoken in the Frostbacks, is indubitably a primarily Alamarri language, albeit one with substantial dwarven influence. Avvar legends tell of their first leader, Tyrdda Bright-Axe, marrying a dwarven leader, to unite their cultures. According to her legend, Tyrdda's children, and thus many of the Avvar, are of dwarven blood. Interestingly, this does not seem to be an ill influence on their ability to use magic, which is an important part of Avvar culture.

The language of the Clayne is the language that became Modern Fereldan, but the Clayne were heavily influenced by another tribe -- the Inghirish, who also influenced the Ciriane language, by occupying a space in what is now northern Orlais and Nevarra. Of course, if we are to speak of the Inghirish, first we must detour to speak of the dwarves.

### Dwarven

At one time, there was an ancient dwarven language, that still survives etched into some runes of distant ages. There is no way to know if it was spoken as consistently as it was written, but it is written nearly the same, everywhere it has been found across Thedas. The dialect most familiar on the surface, today, is that of Orzammar, which has been deeply involved in trade in southern Thedas since the end of the Second Blight, when the darkspawn returned to the Deep Roads and threatened the food supply of the last dwarven city in the south. But, two other Dwarven dialects survive to the present day -- the language spoken by the dwarves of Minrathous and that spoken by the dwarves of Kal-Sharok.

The language of Kal-Sharok is as similar to that of Orzammar as it is to the language of the Orth people of the Anderfels. Though it is not recorded in the memories of Orzammar, some mentions remain in ancient Tevinter texts of humans kept as dwarven slaves. It is not entirely unimaginable that the Dwarven-sounding languages between the Anderfels and Nevarra come by way of a group of humans who once served in Kal-Sharok or some other lost city of the dwarves, in that area.

But, from Orth comes Ander, Planasene, and Inghirish.

Ander, obviously, is the language spoken along the Lattenfluss River valley, in the Anderfels. Orth is still spoken in the foothills, and Yothandi, a Par Ladian language, is spoken along the edges of the Donarks.

Inghirish, after the tribe of the same name, was the language spoken in northern Orlais and what has since become Nevarra. The tribe was wiped out by the southern expansion of the Tevinter Imperium, but not before parts of the language were passed on to the Ciriane, in central Orlais, and the Clayne. The Clayne also seem to have intermarried with the Inghirish, bringing the light hair and eyes of the Anderfels into the Alamarri lands.

Planasene, which spread eastward across what is now the Free Marches, along with the tribe of the same name, is a somewhat different blend of Alamarri and Orth than Clayne, more weighted toward the Orth roots, despite the more Alamarri look of much of the tribe's descendants in the modern day. The Planasene language gave us modern Nevarran, as spoken by the upper classes. Below the Nevarran nobility, another Par Ladian dialect is far more common, adding weight to the idea of some central Thedosian Par Ladian people moving south before the Imperium.

### Elven

While most elves, in the modern day, speak Common, it is said that the Dalish have tried to preserve what remains of the ancient Elven language. Inscriptions left on ruins in the Dales suggest that some of the Elven language did survive centuries of enslavement in Tevinter, and a good deal of what is written, I am told, is of a religious nature. Some elven roots appear in Tevinter texts on particular types of magic, and many Dalish words have clear Tevinter origins, so neither language escaped, unscathed. Other elven words appear in the Avvar language, again, on magical and religious subjects.

### Qunari

The qunari language is unrelated to other languages in Thedas, and likely originated in the place the Qunari came from, wherever that might be. It is speculated that they may be the true inhabitants of Amaranth, a land famed for driving human explorers mad, but there is no genuine evidence of that, though both Amaranth and the Qunari homeland are to the east. Qunari words have made their way into the Rivaini language, particularly in the north, where much of the Rivaini populace has turned toward the Qun.

\-- Excerpts from _Peoples of Thedas_ , by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna), 9:30 Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Footnotes:
> 
>   1. Orlesian is a Romance language. It's practically fucking French. Therefore, one of its roots has to be Neromenian.
>   2. I'm pretty sure the Alamarri were fleeing Andruil, who wore armour of the Void -- a 'shadow goddess' indeed. I'd been thinking Razikale, but Razikale is northern and too late.
>   3. The only mention of ancient dwarves having slaves is actually from Corypheus, in Legacy. He assumes Hawke's party must be slaves to the dwarves, because they're not Tevinter.
>   4. [View the full-size tree of Thedosian languages.](https://66.media.tumblr.com/99e8dcfebe64ea8491d55c85e3067994/tumblr_oay5dub2wa1rjwtq5o1_1280.jpg)
> 



	30. A Brief Pre-History of the Rivaini People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpts from Pre-Rivaini Migration in Northern Thedas, by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna), 9:34 Dragon

## A Brief Pre-History of the Rivaini People

A term I will use frequently in this analysis is 'Pre-Rivaini', meaning the people who have since become the Rivaini, as well as several other cultures, across Northern Thedas. We do not know what these people call themselves. We have reason to believe the original population still exists, though we have no record of anyone in Thedas contacting them, of late, possibly due to their intense aversion to opening their ports to foreign ships.

The people now of Rivain originated in the north, beyond the Donarks, on an archipelago in the Boeric Ocean. They are noted for their intense resistance to invasion, as all attempts to colonise their islands have resulted in bloody failure. While they are clearly excellent sailors, and we have no doubt that the Rivaini peninsula was settled by sea, there are traces of Pre-Rivaini belief that dot the face of Northern Thedas, in a way that suggests Pre-Rivaini settlements on the mainland, and a path of travel over the Donarks and across the continent.

* * *

### The Yothandi

We will deal first with the Yothandi people of the Anderfels, who seemed to vanish in the wake of the Tevinter re-conquering of their nation. The later, more successful split (this time from Orlais) was undertaken by the Ander people, who are ethnically Orth. So, where did the Yothandi come from, and where did they go? This scholar postulates that due to a similarity of culture and appearance, the Yothandi people are ethnically Pre-Rivaini. Asking the Yothandi merchants in the markets of Hossberg and Laysh has led to no further insight -- according to Yothandi tradition, they have been Yothandi since the mountain birthed them and they will be Yothandi until the sun dies its final death. That last is an interesting note, in light of Elven and Alamarri legends about the murder of the sun. Have we Andrastians missed something? It's definitely possible that when the Maker's eye was still on the world, he took the sun from us to make it anew.

But, the Yothandi people keep to their cities, high in the Donarks, to the north. They speak of other settlements that haven't traded since before the Men Who Do Magic Wrong (their name for the people of Tevinter) opened the sky and called the monsters out of the ground. As the valleys of the Anderfels are often the site of darkspawn raids, it's no wonder the Yothandi have chosen to abandon those lost cities, much as the dwarves did, when the Blights divided them, but they can name other settlements as having been at the Ocean's Shoulder and the Fingers of the Earth, although they can no longer say with certainty where those places are.

Where Rivain is very friendly toward elves, there are few elves willing to scale the peaks the Yothandi inhabit, leading to the Yothandi being rather neutral toward all elves -- Dalish and city elves alike. They are simply 'valley people' like any others. The dwarves, however, do maintain some trade routes between Kal Sharok and Yothandi territory. Since Yothandi cities are carved into the face of the mountains, it is no great trial to dig further in and join up with the Deep Roads -- of course, in the wake of the Blights, this can also be an invitation to darkspawn. When the monsters came out of the ground, more and more Yothandi cities sealed their deeper tunnels, and those that didn't were lost or presumed so. As the Deep Roads have begun to clear, in the wake of the Fifth Blight, more ancient market caverns in the heart of the mountains are said to have re-opened, leading the Yothandi to be among the very few groups to trade directly with a dwarven city, without the Carta involvement that is so common in the rest of the Anderfels. Still, stories are told of a time when there were cities fully integrated with the 'stone people', and trading with dwarven outposts was even easier than trading with the valley people.

Notably, the Yothandi have a persistent sense of superiority, when it comes to the valley people. Their names for other human ethnic groups and nationalities are surprisingly unflattering, from their characterisation of Tevinter as Men Who Do Magic Wrong (and this is the single case where the word 'men' is used instead of 'people' for a whole group, which seems to be a reference to the fact that Tevinter is a male-dominated culture) to calling the Orth 'People Who Are Proud of a Hill' (where the Yothandi pride themselves on living further up their mountains than anyone from the valleys can breathe). The entire Andrastian religion is referred to as 'Singing Woman's Children', which doesn't sound too bad, at first, until you realise the word doesn't mean descendants, it means literal children, characterising the Andrastian faith as that of toddlers hitting each other with sticks and crying for their missing mother to make them stop. (Which isn't the worst description of Orlais I've ever heard.)

The Yothandi faith, though, also puts a great deal of stock in singing. They claim that before 'the sky was split in two', the mountain, itself, used to sing to their people, just like it sings to the stone people. Their worship seems to consist of singing the 'mountain song' to the spirits of the stone and the spirits of the sky, and taking the advice they are given when the spirits sing back to them. Of course, only their mages can hear the spirits, so the 'Echo Singers' sing the spirit songs back to the people. During the songs, offerings to the spirits are burned, but unlike in ancient Tevinter worship, the offerings do not seem to be sacrificial -- that is to say, the people do not appear to be giving up things that have meaning or monetary value. Instead, there are herbs and flowers collected from the mountain that are burned simply because they smell nice, and are said to provide a feeling of good fortune and a celebratory air. This sense of revelry is important, because the Yothandi believe that weeping upsets the spirits and causes them to give bad advice, so many times the person the advice is for will not even attend the song sung for them, relying on their friends or family to bring news.

* * *

### Barindur

I can hear you already -- Barindur was a Neromenian tribe. And this is true. Barindur was one of the Four Northern Tribes, and once, there was a great city, where that tribe had settled, on the northern plains -- plains which are, one might notice, about equal distance from the Yothandi cities of the Donarks and the settlements of western Rivain. The story of Barindur, as we know it, says the city was 'swept from the face of the world by the hand of a god', in retaliation when the High King turned away an envoy of the High Priest of Dumat (the High Priest of the time being Thalasian). Now, Barindur was a Neromenian tribe. They had similar cultures and sects of the same religion -- worship of the Old Gods. I cannot imagine what would push a king of any sect of that religion to turn away a Cleric of Dumat -- particularly an envoy of the High Priest, particularly on a holiday, albeit one sacred to another of the Old Gods. I propose, therefore, that Barindur had turned away from at least some of the Old Gods, or even just from the official religion of the Neromenian peoples. They were, in a word, heretical -- which is reflected in both their refusal to accept the envoy and the punishment delivered. 

But, what would change the religion of the tribe of Barindur so thoroughly? Most likely, exposure to something else that better suited their temperament and environment. Given the location of the empty spot at the end of the road, I expect they had been exposed to pre-Rivaini culture. Given the Yothandi and Rivaini relationship to spirits and magic, I would expect they had begun to turn away from organised religion toward personalised religion, with seers, oracles, and conversations with spirits taking precedence over the threatening power of remote and jealous gods.

Unfortunately, while the Yothandi still live, the people of Barindur were swept from the map, along with their city, and cannot be questioned. If the city could be found, at all, perhaps in its wreckage we would find some clue to what happened there and how people lived and worshipped, before that fateful and fatal day. As it stands, the only alternate religions the people of Barindur might have been exposed to are those of the elves, the dwarves, or the pre-Rivaini people, and it is the last of those that seems most likely to have led to their fall.

\-- Excerpts from Pre-Rivaini Migration in Northern Thedas, by [Sister Dymphna](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna), 9:34 Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Sources:
> 
>   * <http://forum.bioware.com/topic/402423-the-da-question-thread/page-4#entry12594194>  
> 
>
>> "The Wilds extends quite a way south of both the Korcari Wilds and the Arbor Wilds-- it's mostly either thick forests or inhospitable wasteland, however, and thus not of much interest to lands in the north. Likewise, north of the Donarks is jungle. Not a lot... once you get into the Boeric Ocean you're looking at mostly small island chains. There are outposts of several nations there, but also Qunari... not to mention angry natives (this is where the Rivaini hail from, racially speaking) who don't like southern lands getting colonial inclinations."
> 
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Rivain>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Rivain>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Seers_and_the_Allsmet>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Lost_City_of_Barindur>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_Age>
>     * " **5990 FA or -415 TE** : The entire kingdom of Barindur vanishes under mysterious circumstances. It appears to be destroyed by a volcanic eruption."
>     * " **500 TE or -695 Ancient** : The western part of the Tevinter [Imperium] rebels to form the Anderfels, mainly populated by the Yothandi people."
>     * " **660 TE or -535 Ancient** : After generations of independence, the Anderfels are reconquered by the Tevinter Imperium."
>     * " **1075–1145 TE or -90 to -50 Ancient** : Rebellion begins in the east as the Rivaini attempt to split off from the Imperium. The resulting campaigns to stop the rebellion distract the Imperium from its attempts to reconquer the Free Marches and allow the south to gather its strength. Many of the eastern cities in the Free Marches intervene on the behalf of the Rivaini, and after several losses that culminated in the disastrous Battle of Temerin in 1142 TE, the Imperium finally abandons the east."
>     * " **1151 TE or -44 Ancient** : The Kingdom of Rivain is formed."
> 



	31. Elves of the Anderfels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Explorations Off the Beaten Path: the collected extraneous notes of [Sister Dymphna of Hercinia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#SrDymphna)

While the Dalish elves circulate freely throughout Thedas, ignoring national borders, which have no bearing on their nomadic lifestyle, the Dalish generally avoid two nations: Tevinter, for obvious reasons, and the Anderfels, so severely touched by the blight as to be almost unlivable. But, this is not to say that there are no elves in the Anderfels -- on the contrary, the Dalish who have chosen to live there rarely travel outside the bounds of that blighted desert.  
  
Even the river valley, along the Lattenfluss, where so many cities and villages flourish, seems to be anathema to them, and they speak of those along the river with derision. It is likely for the best, since no elven mage is turned away from these clans, and the gift of magic flourishes in their blood enough to be used almost casually in fulfilling their needs for water and shelter. The templars in the Lattenfluss Valley would not tolerate their casual disregard for centuries of Andrastian tradition. In fact, when these traditions were pointed out to them, they laughed and said that it was no wonder the humans in the valley struggled to survive, if they believed magic to be a curse upon their people. In contrast, these elves speak of it as a gift from the gods, crafted into their very being, but sometimes leached away by the creeping corruption in the earth. Those among them without magic are carefully cared for, as any good Andrastian would care for a relative missing a hand or a leg, and it is viewed as much the same sort of lack.  
  
Still, they are not wholly without trading partners, as they seem to be friendly with the Yothandi traders on some routes, and often exchange magical goods and pottery for fruit from the Donarks and dwarven goods, which the Yothandi seem to have a steady trade in, since the end of the Fifth Blight.  
  
The Ander Dalish claim to be the Children of Ghilan'nain, and as the Dalish elsewhere revere the halla, they hold up, instead, the dracolisk as the greatest of her creations. They speak of her as the Clearer of the Path and the Mother of Dracolisks, attributing to her the creation of varghests and wyverns, as well. Ghilan'nain's creatures, these clans say, keep the roads safe for their people.  
  
Their legends vary from those of other clans, in other ways, including re-interpretations of their traditional gods. Falon'Din, these elves say, does not merely lead the dead to the Beyond, but arrives in advance of death. He follows Andruil on her hunts, to lead away the spirits of her prey, before they can sicken on the corruption and turn on her. Andruil, it is said, taught these elves how to waste not even the blood of their prey, turning it into a thick, yellowy liquid drunk in rituals, or, at times, drinking it straight from the draining bowl, when water is scarce. The blood of one's enemies, they say, can grant a warrior or hunter the strength and insight of those enemies. Still, they do not drink the blood of the corrupted, animal or human. Those bodies are burned within special domes erected in the desert and then collapsed, once the smoke itself is pure. Many mages in a clan will participate in such a pyre, to ensure it burns at a constant, intense heat for a night and a day, after which nothing remains that can do harm to others.  
  
Of course, like Brother Genitivi, before me, I have only the word of these elves about their traditions and beliefs, and Dalish clans are anything but forthcoming, overall. Still, the enterprising scholar might find this a worthy starting point for a more extensive study.

\--Explorations Off the Beaten Path: the collected extraneous notes of Sister Dymphna of Hercinia


	32. Perfumes of the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpts from a Tevinter perfume catalogue, summer of 9:38.

##  DELICATUS DRACO

###  Summer Catalogue, 9:38 Dragon

You've been wearing your winter scents for months -- your mint, apple, and juniper. Your last remaining thoughts of the year gone by. Maybe you're even wearing some of our winter fragrances! But, the months of unending sun are returning soon, and you'll want to be prepared.

 

**The Summer Classics Return!**

  * _Toth_ : Embrace the flame, with this long-lasting spicy fragrance. Cinnamon, cedar, lemongrass, and char. Available as an oil or unguent.
  * _Nevarran Sunshine_ : A Southern summer fragrance. Coffee and violets give a taste of the cool summer breeze in the necropolis. Oil only, for this light scent.
  * _Shores of Seheron_ : A seaside holiday without the Qunari. Coconut and vanilla straight from Seheron, with a hint of sea salt and wine. Available as an oil or unguent.



 

**New Fragrances!**

  * _Venatori_ : The bold scent of Tevinter excellence. A heavy orange scent, with bergamot, bitter almond, and terebinthine; fill the air with the scent of the glory days of the Imperium. Available as an oil or unguent.
  * _Weisshaupt_ : The subtle yet commanding scent of heroism. Sandalwood, cardamom, and labdanum combine in a light oil for a fragrance that would strike fear into the heart of the next archdemon. Oil only.
  * _Orchard Breeze_ : A rich scent of spring flowers and summer fruits. Olive, lime, and neroli scents call to mind the orchards of Carastes. Oil only, for this light scent.



 

**Imported from Antiva!**

  * _Bridge Over Seleny_ : Lemon, Seheron vanilla, and Antivan rose combine to make a scent fit for long evenings on a seafront balcony, with a bowl of gelatus in one hand and the other on your favoured lover. Available as an oil or unguent.
  * _Black Feathers_ : The scent of dusk and mystery. Musk, bergamot, cassia, and Andraste's grace provide a fragrance that bridges the distance between lust and death. Unguent only.



 

**For Your Slaves!**

  * _Andoral_ : The scent of chains. Pine, jasmine, and calamus combine to produce a scent like that of freshly-cast silverite, with an undertone of the southern wilds. Available as an oil or unguent. Now available for humans as well as the original elf-balanced formula!



 

**Why Delicatus Draco perfumes are the finest.**

Every fragrance needs something to carry it -- an oil, cream, or salve to hold the scent. Shops catering to the Soporati often use animal fats, usually lard or goose grease, to hold their scents, but as anyone knows, those scents turn foul quickly in warm weather, despite their delightful consistency. Olive oil and lanolin are far slower to spoil, but their own scents can overwhelm a light fragrance. At Delicatus Draco, we use the oil of the desert-date, which has nearly no scent or taste of its own and maintains any fragrance extracted with it for months, if not years. You'll still be able to smell the perfumes of your ancestors, if they were made by Delicatus Draco. For those who prefer a thicker base, we offer a beeswax and desert-date oil blend that is popular in the drier parts of the Imperium, as it offers a subtle protection against the sweat-thieving winds. For those with dry and damaged skin, we do offer a lanolin-beeswax line, but the scents are more limited, as they must be compatible with the lanolin.

 

**What are the 'elf-balanced' scents?**

Elf-balanced scents are fragrances designed for those who like their slaves to bear their scent before them. In the case of human slaves, a dash of the owner's perfume is enough. But elves are not humans, and many scents designed for humans foul upon elven skin. We at Delicatus Draco specialise in formulating slave perfumes, for the master who truly wants to impress. Every scent marked as being 'elf-balanced' is specifically balanced for elven skin, and will smell just as it does in the bottle, once applied. Do not apply elf-balanced scents to humans! If there is a scent only available in an elf-balanced blend, and you require it for human skin, please contact us for a special order!

 

**Why are some scents more expensive?**

Many traditional Tevinter scents come from plants that are now only available as imports. Trade restrictions imposed by the Anderfels have limited our ability to acquire these herbs and flowers, long essential to the traditions of our great nation. Other fruits, woods, and seeds come only from Seheron and Par Vollen, where the Qunari are a direct threat to even trade vessels. We can offer scents from Antiva with the smallest markup, as we have made an beneficial trade agreement with the Belflores Perfumery of Rialto, and pass on their excellent prices to our clients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the fragrances here are based heavily on scents popular in the Mediterranean area between about 1000BC and 500AD. Yes, I actually do have a rather large list of scents used in perfume during this period, but I'm going to spare you the extended list, for the moment. The 'desert-date oil' is either balanos oil or ben oil.


	33. Wines of Thedas (1/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _An Overview of the Common Wines of Thedas_ , by Indira of Val Foret, 9:24 Dragon

There are a grand multitude of wines from all corners of Thedas, and it is only suited that they be documented in detail, in every fine nuance. But, I leave that to the reviewers and editors of The Vat and Vine, instead preferring to offer a common-woman's guide to the varieties most likely to be found in the markets. A guide that offers a brief overview of the fascinating variety to be found among the fermented fruits of all nations.  
  
For the purposes of this guide, a wine will be defined as the fermented juice of a fruit -- any fruit, not only the grape. What this leaves out is ferments of sirop and honey, as those may better be called 'meads'; ferments of milk; ferments of grain, better called 'beers' and 'ales'; or the distillates of any of the above, better called 'liquors' or 'spirits'. Some of these have the common name of wine, and those are addressed at the end of this guide, to carefully distinguish them from the true wines.  


### Antiva

When speaking of the wines of Thedas, one must begin with Antiva, the nation that gives us the finest of all wine, recognised throughout the continent. Even those wines brewed and bottled in Antiva City are often a league above anything out of Orlais. But, the wines of Antiva can be acquired in both red and white, with both being fortified, in certain circumstances.

  * **White Seleny** \- Bubbling white wines from the abbey vineyards along the river, near Seleny, are popular in the south for use in mixed drinks, which has often seemed a waste of a fine Antivan wine. Still, the wines of Seleny are soft and aromatic, often with an apple bouquet, and the bubbles are copious and tiny. More than one foreign barkeep has lost an eye to opening a bottle, carelessly.
  * **Western Ruby** \- A sweet red made in the monasteries around Treviso. it is often used for port, which is devastating if drunk incautiously. This wine is a brilliant red colour, rich with the taste of spices and a hint of dragon's blood. A common wine in places that serve Antivan wines, and one of the more profitable exports of the infamous Montilyet family.
  * **Antivan Port** \- Not a single wine, but an entire genre of wines, internationally rarely distinguished from one another, to unfortunate effect, at times. The port wines of Antiva, which give their name to the style, were developed for drinking at sea, where wine often fouls, once opened. The fortifying effect of a good brandy is more than enough to prevent them going vinegary, before the end of the barrel. Though most Antivan port wines are rich and sweet -- thus birthing the international expectation -- a small number are surprisingly dry and crisp, with the brandy boosting their cutting flavour.
  * **Antivan Sack** \- A genre of fortified white wines, many made along the river valley, where the widest variety of white grapes grow. These are almost inevitably dry, crisp wines, fortified with the distillate of lesser wines of previous years. There is no distinction between one year and the next, with sack, as each year builds upon the half of the previous year's vintage still in the casks. Some sack is sweetened or flavoured, after it is fortified, with Dolce Ciudad from Antiva City being the most cited of Antivan Sweet Sack varieties.



 

### The Anderfels

Ander wines are never made of grape -- no grapes can be made to grow in the blighted lands, even in the river valley, and few Ander wineries are willing to pay the price, both monetarily and socially, of purchasing Tevinter grapes. Instead, other fruit wines are common, made from hardier fruits.

  * **Date Wine** \- This wine is the predominant export wine from the Anderfels. It's also the most common table wine. Dates are among the few fruits that grow well along the Lattenfluss Valley, and in sufficient quantity that fermenting them is an acceptable decision, in a nation where food is so dear. Still, those who purchase Ander wine expecting grape are sorely disappointed at the flavour and thickness, in this sharp and heavy wine.
  * **Sweet Date Wine** \- As above, but blended with syrup of dates, before bottling, making a thicker and sweeter drink that is still nothing like a grape wine, though the Anders drink it proudly. Frequently a symbol of independent Ander nationalism, in celebrations.
  * **Desert Flower Wine** \- Generally, a dessert wine, this wine is misnamed, as it is made of the fruit of desert succulents found between the river valley and the mountains at the edge of the Donarks. This is an incredibly sweet pink wine, the flavour amplified with more fresh juice of the Blightlands Fig, after fermentation. Wineries in the valley do not produce Desert Flower, as few vintners will venture into the blighted lands. The only source is Yothandi traders, who are ill-inclined to deal with foreigners, making the wine all but unavailable outside the Anderfels.
  * **Wine-Melon** \- A particular sort of fleshy pink melon grows in the Anderfels, and when it is fermented, it is done so within the rind, by cutting open one end, mashing down the pulp a bit, and adding some sort of starter, usually an end of bread dough or a spoon of the yeast layer from a vat of ale. In some places, one spits in it or makes it with a dirty hand. Either way, the melon is closed again and placed in warm water until the fermentation begins, usually about a day. When it is finished, the bottom is cut open, and the pulp is pressed out through a cheesecloth to produce a thin, questionably-flavoured beverage.



 

### Ferelden

Overall, Ferelden is little-known internationally for its wines, as few among foreign nobility would be caught drinking something that came out of the land of wet dogs. Still, before there was a Ferelden, the Alamarri lands were well known for their wines, particularly those produced in the area surrounding a small village called Vintiver, which still produces a significant percentage of Fereldan wine. It is said that the parting of the 'legendary vintners' after their final batch was the death of excellence in Fereldan wine.

  * **Finale By Massaad** \- Described by the ever-fortunate reviewers behind 'The Vat and Vine' as, 'The last bottling from the legendary vintners of Ferelden before lands were divided. Tears on the glass as slow as the turning of a reluctant heir, as quick on the tongue as words that can't be unsaid.' Obviously, no longer produced, and the last bottles traded for a king's ransom.
  * **Feather of the Vine** \- A dessert wine, light and sweet, made of the delicate Princess Blush grapes that grow only just at the edge of the Brecilian Forest. The vines are particular, and do not fruit every year, making this a precious and somewhat costly wine. Less scrupulous kitchens serve it cut with sweetened water.
  * **Havard's Own** \- A white wine after ancient Alamarri tradition, it is clear, crisp, and bone dry. A bracing beverage, best drunk chilled. While this wine is made along the Southron Hills, a similar wine is made by some northern Avvar holds, where the flavour is attributed to the intercession of the Lady of the Skies.
  * **Dane's Teeth** \- A thick, red wine with a strong raisin flavour. It is said that the grapes will not produce the correct flavour if they are not 'watered by wolves' at least once during the growing season, and those who grow the grape for it often sprinkle the fields with herbs said to draw wolves. Needless to say, these grapes are grown far from the few villages that dot the landscape of the Southron Hills.
  * **Dog's Bucket** \- The last batch of any season in the Southron Hills, made of the remaining grapes insufficient to their own batch. There is a challenge, each year, in Vintiver, to see who is bold enough to drink of the previous year's Dog's Bucket wine, and assign it a proper name. Some of these have gone on to legendry in their excellence or grotesquery, and due to the skill of the vintners of the area, they are often no worse than any other of the year's wines.
  * **Whitecurrant Wine** \- A popular fruit wine of the Hinterlands and the Korcari Wilds, where the temperate Fereldan climate begins to give way to the southern chill, and grapes no longer grow to their full potential. This is often a syrupy wine, very sweet, and usually served mixed with spice tea to cut down on the sweetness. Still, drunk alone, it is surprisingly strong for something that retains that sweetness.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Footnotes
> 
>   * Yes, I know 'Port' wine is named for Portugal, but there's canonical Antivan port, and I have to account for that somehow. Thus, it is now a sailor's beverage.
>   * There's no canonical sherry, but if there's port I can pretty much guarantee there's sherry. Since sherry's specifically a reference to a place in Spain, Thedosian sherry's gonna have to be 'sack', which actually includes more fortifed wines than just sherry.
>   * Antiva has... a river? But, it's not labelled on any map I can find. It's just... there. And it passes Seleny close enough to say that Seleny is on the river, and Antiva City is arguably at the mouth, but there's no indicators of anything else of note nearby. *shrugs massively* So, yeah, there's an unnamed river in these descriptions. SORRY. If anyone can demonstrate a canonical name for that river, let me know. (And it's not the Minanter, which serves as part of the southern border of Antiva.)
>   * Antiva:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Wycome>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Antiva>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Seers_and_the_Allsmet>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Montilyet_family>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Leliana/Dialogue>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Gilded_Horn%27s_Drink_List>
>   * Anderfels:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dorian_Pavus/Dialogue>
>     * Dorian's complaints about Ander wine inspired us to write date wine into Rhapsody, so that's in here too.
>   * Ferelden:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Bottles_of_Thedas>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Wynne/Dialogue>
>     * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_(tabletop_RPG)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_%28tabletop_RPG%29)
> 



	34. Wines of Thedas (2/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _An Overview of the Wines of Thedas_ , by Indira of Val Foret

### The Free Marches

It is said there is little wine native to the Marches that is worthy of drinking. The native grapes suffered greatly after the Fourth Blight, and it is only small and bitter fruit overall, ill-suited to the making of wine. Some enterprising souls have taken to drying the grapes and treating them with a solution of acids, before brewing with them, but these wines will never be at the level of an Antivan wine. Other fruits have served the Marches well, but little is traded outside the borders of their mutually-defended land, except in Nevarra.

  * **Tantervale Apple Wine** \- The single best wine ever to come out of the Marches. Nothing can compare to the crisp flavour of Tantervale apples in every sip. It is, however, a spectacularly dangerous wine to drink to excess, partially because it is so easy to do. The low-impact of the alcohol on the tongue and throat cause a drinker to fantastically underestimate the strength of this wine -- and it is quite strong.
  * **Ansburg Diamond** \- A crystal-clear wine from Ansburg, made of dried green grapes. The treatment of the grape may do much for the flavour of the wine, but not nearly enough, as it remains tight and acid, the cutting burn on the way down not simply from the proof. It is named well, however. I cannot imagine a better descriptor than trying to drink diamonds.
  * **Ostwick Pitchwine** \- It's black, but it's not a black wine. It's a red, made of dried grapes. The flavour is dark and sulphury, and I am told it pairs well with over-sweet fruits and pastries, and that it is a pleasing accent in some mixed drinks, but I cannot advise drinking it alone.
  * **Starkhaven Raspberry Wine** \- The jewel of the Minanter, all told, this bold-pink wine tastes of raspberries soaked in spirits, though I am assured it is actually a fermented drink, which becomes clear upon swallowing, when the aftertaste of the yeast settles at the back of the throat. An excellent light wine for celebrations.
  * **Mushroom Wine** \- In its simplest form, a mushroom wine is made by fermenting particular types of edible mushrooms and fruits of deep-growing fungus. It uses a particular type of Deep Roads fungus for fermentation, rather than the scrapings of nug innards or actual yeast. While this is one of the least expensive beverages in the city of Kirkwall, and other surface cities with deep, inhabited catacombs, there are rumours it was once the pride of the Dwarven Empire, and brewed with ingredients that would have it rival the grape wines of Montfort.



 

### Nevarra

Little comes of Nevarra, in the way of wine. Much of the wine in Nevarra comes by way of Antiva, as the current trade agreements prevent the import of much Orlesian wine, after that incident with Emperor Etienne I, at the end of the Storm Age. Still, 'little' is not none, though no notable grape wines have come from Nevarra since the Third Blight.

  * **Rose Kiss** \- A rose hip wine made in Hunter Fell, semi-dry with a delicate floral taste. The better wines of this sort have a clean, crisp taste, while some made from less ripe or overpressed rose hips take on an earthy aftertaste.
  * **Plum Wine** \- Unlike Tevinter 'plum wine', which is actually a strong rice liquor with plums soaked in it, Nevarran plum wine is the genuine article, and a speciality of Nevarra City, where the plums used in the finest of these wines are those that grow before the gates of the Grand Necropolis.



 

### Orlais

Orlais is the next most common producer of wine for export, with its abbeys and monasteries producing both reds and whites, and the notorious black wine from the shores of Lake Celestine. The Abbey of the Bans is rumoured to produce a fine yellow wine, though in small enough quantities that it is almost unavailable outside Serault. Montfort, of course, provides the standard by which Orlesian wine is judged, though Val Chevin makes a notable effort in that department. Popular wines of Orlais include:

  * **Celestine Black** \- A wine made only on the southern shores of Lake Celestine, in the Heartlands of Orlais, Celestine Black is a curious vintage that is as dark as its name suggests. The grapes used are darker even than the wine, and are thought to be a predecessor to the Imperial grape, which is widely regarded as producing a more palatable wine. Still, Celestine Black remains popular for the curiosity value and for those with a taste for a rich and bitter wine, almost like an Antivan coffee, if coffee were made of grapes. The price ensures this wine only appears at the most ostentatious of events, where it more often serves a decorative purpose.
  * **Papillon** \- A sparkling pink wine, light and sweet, notable primarily for its economy. The dessert wine preferred for the sorts of events at which everyone is bibulous before supper's end. Made throughout the surrounding region, this wine is traded primarily through Val Chevin.
  * **Serault Yellow** \- Though wines with a yellow tinge are generally considered white wines, this golden wine from the north has carved itself a new space as a yellow wine. The description is accurate -- this is no mere blanc, with a pale yellow-green tinge, no, this is as gold as the Sun Gates themselves. It is a sweet and mild wine, said to be from the vineyards of the Abbess of the Bans, herself, and  sufficiently rare to be available only in exchange for other wines or to those visitors to Serault fortunate enough to visit the abbey or join the Marquise for a meal where it is served.
  * **Imperial** \- A red wine produced around Val Foret of grapes of the 'Imperial' stock, named not because of any relation to the Valmonts, but because they are one of a small number of grapes red on the inside, thought to be a sign of a higher quality of grape. The wine, itself, is a deep red, with a soft, velvety mouthfeel, and a hint of plum to the flavour. It is quite popular among those who refuse to purchase Antivan wine, but it lacks the richness of the wines of Montfort.
  * **Montfort Rouge** \- A complex red wine, progressing from an immediate impression of cherry to nutmeg, at the throat, and finishing with a breath of sage. This is the single most popular export wine from Orlais, as is to be expected from a Montfort wine.
  * **Douce Colombe** \- A light white wine, with an almond bouquet and a faint aftertaste of rose and honey. It is traded through Montfort, being made from Maker's Kiss, a thin-skinned green grape peculiar to the area just east of the Nahashin Marches. This is the most popular of Montfort's whites, and has seen much use at noble banquets abroad, serving as a second tier after an opening of Antivan wine.
  * **Seafoam White** \- The last of the great Jader wines, before the region stopped producing due to the salt damage from the floods during the Fourth Blight. A dry white with a hint of gingerbread and an aftertaste of tears, this wine was popular among lovers. It is said that Justinia I, refusing to serve elven or Antivan wines at the completion of the Grand Cathedral, put in an order, several years in advance, for whole years of this wine to be set aside for the occasion. Some say, in the Cathedral's vaults, some of this wine from the earliest days of Orlais remains.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Footnotes
> 
>   * Free Marches:
>     * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varric_(short_story)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varric_%28short_story%29)
>   * Nevarra:
>     * I find no canonical reference to Nevarran wines. Please feel free to correct me in the comments, but cite your sources.
>   * Orlais:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Wine_of_Chateau_Haine>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Archives_of_Montfort>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_A_Nutty_Affair>
>     *  <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Elegant_Abbess>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/You_Dream_of_the_Shame>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Next_Course>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Orlais>
> 



	35. Wines of Thedas (3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _An Overview of the Common Wines of Thedas_ , by Indira of Val Foret, 9:24 Dragon

### Rivain

Rivaini wine is often underestimated, with what little of it makes the foreign markets often, and perhaps intentionally, mislabelled as Antivan. Still, the wines of Rivain are such that they genuinely do rival those of Antiva, particularly around the bay. The fruit wines of the north are just as impressive as the grape wines along the coast, though there is little to compare them to, as Tevinter has clung to grape and the Qunari do not produce wine.

  * **Gift of Talons** \- A northern wine made of some exotic citrus, said to be covered in terrific spines. This fruit produces a soft, semi-dry wine with a bouquet never seen in the Southern lands. The flavour is incomparable and magical -- possibly literally so.
  * **Queen's Gold** \- A strong yellow wine produced around Dairsmuid from grapes that must rival those grown by the Abbey of the Bans, to produce such a colour. Perhaps not as gold as the Sun Gate, but surely not weak enough to be deemed merely 'white'. The taste is said to be like drinking stars -- at first, nearly nothing, but after swallowing it blooms, floral and burning.
  * **Blood of the Vine** \- A midlands red, notable in its voluptuous fresh-grape taste, as if a grape juice had been spiked with the purest distillate of spirits. In every village in which it is made, thanks are offered to the earth and the vine, both during the harvest and during the fermentation, and it is said that this remarkable flavour would be impossible to achieve without the gift of the spirits.
  * **Roja Llomeryn** \- Not usually produced in Llomeryn, but inevitably traded through. Frequently used to cut sweet reds out of Antiva, like Western Ruby, as the wines are similar being made from the same grapes. The profit of selling half-Antivan, half-Rivaini wine is a powerful motivation for certain raiders looking for less violent methods of turning coin.



 

### Tevinter

The wine-producing parts of Tevinter suffered greatly in the wake of the First Blight and then the Exalted March, and many of the finest ancient wines are lost to history and memory. Still, Tevinter was quick to recover from the agricultural destruction, though many look to the Anderfels and claim the recovery must have relied on magic and other things forbidden in the civilised South. Tevinter is still a major producer of wines, though the majority are drunk locally, due to foreign import restrictions on Tevinter goods.

  * **Silent Plains Piquette** \- Both an ancient and modern wine of Tevinter, described by the reviewers behind 'The Vat and Vine' as, 'An artisanal treatment of a Tevinter slave wine. Grape pomace is soaked and pressed, then buried for a year under the wastes where the first Archdemon fell. One assumes. They keep finding the stuff.' Notably, what is found is not always the preceding year's vintage, but sometimes bottles that, from the style and the surrounding deformed bones, date to just after Dumat's fall, likely buried by tainted slaves who were then slain before they could bring the taint back to the cities. Still, not the usual treatment for a piquette of any vintage or origin, leading one to wonder at the rumours of a resurgence of dragon cults in Tevinter.
  * **Vol Dorma Red** \- If there is one thing Vol Dorma is known for, it's olives. If there's another, it's red wine. Though the Ander blightlands stretch across the border, the hills around the city are rich and green, slowly giving way to the dust and red earth. Indubitably the work of magic, as is the spectacularly tart and dry wine produced there. While most Southerners would be sane enough to pour the like into a sauce pot or use it for a marinade, it's a rather popular mid-range wine in Tevinter. A Vol Dorma red speaks of new money or a good year in trade.
  * **Neromenian Rose** \- The northern shores have recovered far better than inland Tevinter, and coastal vineyards are popular, producing fine wines like this one, said to be made with grapes brought from across the sea. Where across the sea, exactly, no one can say, but there is no Altus family in Tevinter without a stock of this stunning ruby-red wine laid into their cellars. One can taste the recovery of the land from the clutches of the Blight through the centuries, in cellars not collapsed by an archdemon or a rival magister.
  * **Valerian Black** \- The darkest wine in the North. Legend says the Celestine Black grapes of Orlais are descended from vines rescued from the Blight-stricken vineyards around Minrathous, when Andraste and Maferath marched north. There is some dispute among Tevinter scholars over the origin of the grape, though popular theories have it alternately brought from the earth by the blood of Thalsian, himself when Dumat first taught him blood magic, or stolen from the vineyards of Arlathan, while the city ws under siege. Either way, it is a native Thedosian grape, imparting a strong raisin and chocolate taste to any wine made from it.



 

### Not Actually Wine

Other things called 'wine' are common throughout Thedas, but few are actually wines, as we speak of them, and are more commonly meads, liqueurs, or strong ales. Among them, we find:

  * **Dwarven Mosswine** \- a mead made by fermenting the extracts of a sweet moss particular to the Deep Roads mixed with water and fermented with an extract derived from the intestines of nugs. Generally, it is fermented in the bottle it is sold in, resulting in a powerfully bubbling beverage with a thick layer of sludge at the bottom. It is due to that sludge and the musty flavour of the finished product that mosswine is generally consumed by the casteless, with the upper castes of Orzammar preferring wines from the surface, particularly those of Orlesian vintage.
  * **Barleywine** \- This is actually an ale brewed from barley, but strong enough to rank with fortified wines, in how swiftly one can be made drunk with it. It is quite popular with travelling merchants and Chantry sisters, in Orlais, and in nearly every rural tavern in Ferelden. It is the sort of drink that can be had nearly anywhere in Thedas, given the wide range in which barley is a staple crop.
  * **Dandelion wine** \- A mead made from dandelions and honey, sometimes with thin slices of citrus fruit, among the elves of Halamshiral. Some say it is because the elves are too poor to buy proper wine, but others say that to bow to the grape is to accede to the superiority of humankind.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Footnotes
> 
>   * Rivain:
>     * I find no canonical references to Rivaini wine, but one to someone drinking wine in Rivain that he assumes to be Antivan: <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Seers_and_the_Allsmet>
>   * Tevinter:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Bottles_of_Thedas>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dorian_Pavus/Dialogue>
>   * Dwarven sources:
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Darktown%27s_Deal>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_A_List_of_Instructions>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mosswine>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Corra>
>   * And one mention of a notable wine I have no fucking idea where it's made: Flames of Our Lady from <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Bottles_of_Thedas>
> 



	36. Liquors and Spirits of Thedas (1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Wise Woman's Guide to Strong Drink_ , by Indira of Val Foret, 9:27 Dragon.

When we speak of spirits, one's first thought is to recall those mysterious beings of the Fade, but often the term refers to another mysterious thing that will change a man's mood: strong liquor. What follows is a common-woman's guide to the liquors of Thedas, divided by style, rather than nation, as the national boundaries do not indicate nearly as much as the ingredients and intended flavour. In the second chapter, we shall approach those liquors that are not so easily grouped, and those that should not be imbibed on pain of madness or death.  


### Brandy

Originally intended as a way to avoid shipping duties on wine, between Antiva and Tevinter, Brandy is distilled wine aged in wooden casks. As was swiftly discovered, though, re-adding the water does not restore the original flavour of the wine, and a new beverage was created. It is rarely produced in areas heavily afflicted by the Blight. The finest brandies are produced in Antiva, though a few notable ones come from the vineyards of Ferelden. It is said that Orlais does not produce brandy, for a horror of damaging their wine.  


  * **Antivan Brandy** \- Not a designation used in Antiva, but when one requests it elsewhere, one generally receives a devastatingly strong, smooth brandy that drinks like a honeywine and kicks like an angry gurn.
  * **Elderberry Brandy** \- A common Fereldan brandy, made across the nation, from elderberry wine. Once distilled, it is cut with the wine, before bottling, to maintain the flavour and scent. When one asks for brandy, in Ferelden, or for 'Fereldan brandy', this is what one will most likely wind up with.
  * **Kirkwall Brandy** \- An unflavoured brandy made in the Marcher city of Kirkwall. Our writers are uncertain why you would put this in your mouth, but it is said to be part of a hangover cure, when put in cider and served with pig oat mash.
  * **Passionfruit Brandy** \- A fine Antivan brandy, made of wines not quite fit for export and flavoured with the juice of fresh passionfruit and an inordinate amount of honey. This is not a strong drink, but one meant to be drunk at length -- 'just enough to keep the conversation flowing,' as the Antivans say.
  * **Plum Brandy** \- An Antivan brandy often made along the coast of the Rialto Bay, from damson plums. Among brandies, this is one of the simplest, requiring nothing but the plums, honey, and yeast, before distillation. Cheaper bottles may be cut with prune juice, leading to some ... unanticipated side effects.
  * **West Hill Brandy** \- A Fereldan brandy, made of the blackcurrant wine popular west of Highever. It is considered the best of the Fereldan brandies, holding a thick flavour of currant and honeysuckle added after the distillation. Very popular, both in Ferelden and outside of it.



 

### Gin

While not a popular drink, gin has taken hold in some quarters, and stills that would otherwise produce poor quality whiskey have turned to the strongly juniper-flavoured gin, instead. Until the second distilling, which adds the juniper and other fruit and herbal ingredients, gin is a remarkably tasteless beverage, with no flavour and a moderate burn. After the second, it becomes a richly-flavoured liquor, generally unsweetened, in the bottle, but often sweetened when mixed. Popular flavours of gin include those made with medicinal herbs or citrus fruit.  


  * **Prophet's Laurel Gin** \- An herbal-infused gin popular in Ferelden and Orlais. The restorative properties of prophet's laurel are said to give this gin a bit less of a brutal morning after, but the rumour seems only to make those inclined to drink it do so in greater quantity. 
  * **Sweet Orange Gin** \- A citrus gin popular in Nevarra, among the lower classes. This gin is often produced by independent bottlers and can be bought on nearly any street corner in certain parts of Cumberland and Nevarra City. While much of it is low-quality, some distilleries have taken to producing their own 'guaranteed safe' versions of the beverage, sold at significantly higher prices, usually to tourists looking for a taste of local culture.
  * **Marcher's Fangs** \- A gin made in Ansburg, flavoured with citron and embrium. It smells better than it tastes, and is often gifted to those with a cough or a sneeze, as breathing the scent of it is said to aid the lungs. Those who drink it are said to have been bitten, as the drink is quite sharp on the tongue, bitter with juniper and strong citron.
  * **Sweet Ambrosia** \- An Orlesian gin containing no actual ambrosia. It is infused, instead, with vandal aria, rose petals, and lemon, and is a surprisingly drinkable beverage for the combination. The drink is said to be popular among the ladies of wealthy merchant families and handmaids, but no gin has yet pierced the barrier of nobility.



 

### Rum

Rum is an inevitable beverage, wherever the brewing of wine from nature's sweets has taken hold, being the distillate of those wines. The base for a rum can be honey, molasses or sugar juice, with sugar juice providing the most desirable flavour. The best rums in Thedas come out of Llomeryn, but all of Rivain is known for its fondness for the drink in all its forms, and there is scarce a ship of raiders on the Waking Sea without several casks in the hold.  


  * **Llomeryn Rum** \- Any rum so labelled, and bearing the proper seal, is a gold rum of notable flavour and notable price. These are all sugar juice rums, and the taste of fresh cane haunts them, adding a smooth sweetness unavailable in molasses and honey rums. Among the top tier, none are flavoured further, with the clarity of the taste of sugarcane serving as a marker of the quality of the drink.
  * **Starkhaven Rum** \- A white rum made with honey, instead of sugar, and held to be one of the better honey rums. Still, it is more often used for mixing than for sipping, except in its home city, where it is held to be an excellent companion to pickled anchovy-stuffed eggs.
  * **Hunterhorn Rum** \- Like it says on the bottle, a rum from the foot of the Hunterhorn Mountains, in northern Orlais. Made with caramelised beet sugar, this rum is aged in charred sylvanwood casks, until it is 'dark as the Void', as they say. Most often, it is spiced with anise and sweet cinnamon.
  * **Blackbottle Sugar Liqueur** \- A rum made in Carastes of only the darkest molasses, bottled strong enough to burn at the touch of flame. It tastes of smoky, burnt molasses, sweetened with brown sugar, until it clings to the teeth.



 

### Whiskey

Whiskey is a liquor of distilled, brewed grain, and it is a pan-Thedosian choice, with Fereldan's ryott and wheat whiskeys and the barley whiskey of the Anderfels being the most popular. In the Marches, Nevarran maize whiskey prevails, though few in Nevarra will drink it themselves. Once distilled, a whiskey is generally aged in wooden barrels, with ironbark and oak most popular in Ferelden, and ancient Tevinter wine barrels most often used in the Anderfels.  


  * **Mackay's Epic Single Malt** \- The finest of whiskeys made in Ferelden, made of malted wheat from the Bannorn and distilled in Amaranthine. The distillery has been passed down through the generations since well before Ferelden was a nation, and the most valued bottles are those made of ancient grain that has never been touched by the Blight, and aged for centuries in elven-made ironbark casks. It has been described as being 'smoother than elven baby butt'.
  * **Fereldan Whiskey** \- In the generic, this is most often a ryott whiskey, aged five to fifteen years, in oak barrels. Most often, a Fereldan whiskey will have a distinctive smoky flavour, imparted by drying the grain over peat fires, in the boggy south, where ryott is grown. 
  * **Legacy White Shear** \- Technically a Fereldan whiskey, this drink was made by Tevinter settlers in southern Ferelden. The particular batch, uncovered under an ancient ruin, that is most often spoken of is the 790 T.E. vintage, distilled a mere decade before their brethren in the north tore open the sky. After centuries in the cask, the whiskey has been imbued with traces of lyrium from the bilge hoop, and the effects of that particular vintage are further detailed under 'Toxic Beverages'. Other recovered casks are of an unpeated whiskey, the malt dried over the burning remains of the ancient sylvans that were carved for the casks, according to the notes accompanying the stock. Overall, a novelty, in its age, but not a very good whiskey.
  * **Cinnamon Whiskey** \- A barley whiskey infused with cinnamon. Popular in the Marches and Rivain, but served in most places that can afford to import it. Definitely a sign of a tavern with a certain class of clientèle.
  * **Chasind Wildwine** \- Not a wine at all, Chasind Wildwine is the ur-whiskey of Ferelden. The heavy, dark ryott beer of the Wilds is distilled down into a crisp, crystal-clear liquor that picks up a bit of flavour and colour, when it's packed back into the beer casks. Popular among the Chasind, but few places beyond the southern borders of Ferelden will bother to trade for it.
  * **Reaver Ale** \- This whiskey from Perendale was, at one time, a maize ale commonly brought on dragon-hunting expeditions. But, as weight is of great import, the drink was distilled down to its essence, cutting down the number of casks needed to ship the same amount of drunkenness into the foothills. It is often aged in casks left after the bottling of imported Orlesian wine.
  * **Markham Whiskey** \- Markham's whiskeys are made from the amber sea of wheat that surrounds the city. Broadly, they are blended whiskeys of moderate quality and are a popular choice with the merchant classes and the clergy.
  * **Black Kiss** \- A top-shelf, single malt, barley whiskey out of Nordbotten. The barley for this particular liquor is grown on lands recovered from the First Blight -- some of the first tainted cropland to take a planting, eight hundred years later. The first cask was gifted to the Grey Wardens, as thanks for ensuring there would still be Ander people to reclaim the land. Though the drink itself seems to be free of the taint, the barley farmers are reportedly all a little strange, and it is recommended one not look them in the eye.



* * *

* * *

### Footnotes, as they're much too long to fit in the notes box.

**Brandy**

  * West Hill Brandy: Notes of black currant with a honeysuckle finish. Also, tastes like brandy.  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Bottles_of_Thedas> >
  * (Of The Hanged Man) The Pig Oat Mash, also called the Hanged Mash, is always served there and is allegedly a hangover cure when accompanied by brandy-spiked-cider. ( _World of Thedas_ , vol. 2, p. 288)
  *  Warden: When did you run out of brandy? 
    *  Felsi: Oh, we haven't yet. It's just terrible. We got it from a shady Orlesian trader and I think it might really be turpentine. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Felsi> >
  * _The Golden Nug:_ An effervescent white seleney wine with a dash of west hill brandy and a splash of pomegranate juice. Muddled with raspberries and a sprig of Royal Elfroot.  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Gilded_Horn%27s_Drink_List> >
  * He poured a glass of plum brandy from a chipped decanter and carried it out to the patio, where an impressive Orlesian mustache was keeping company with an old Grey Warden playing a minuet on a lute. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Hard_in_Hightown:_Chapter_%3F%3F%3F> >
  * Brandy (Antivan!!!): 6 silver < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Rusted_Horn%27s_Menu> >
  * The Orphans want 2 gold to buy pillows and blankets as well a bottle of the inn's finest brandy to keep them warm. < [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Blight_Orphans_(Again)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Blight_Orphans_%28Again%29) >
  * Phillipe, Move in on the western wing of the palace when I send you three shots of brandy. Not taking any chances. Gaspard < [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_Halamshiral_Investigation_-_Clues_(Trophy_Room)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_Halamshiral_Investigation_-_Clues_%28Trophy_Room%29) >
  * Rare Antivan Brandy: Pulling the stopper from the bottle reveals hints of exotic passion fruit. The alcohol content is low by local standards--"just enough to keep the conversation flowing," as the Antivans say. < [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Rare_Antivan_Brandy_(gift)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Rare_Antivan_Brandy_%28gift%29) >
  * Brandy, poured into cheap clay mugs. < [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Brandy_(Cheap)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Brandy_%28Cheap%29) >
  * Antivan Brandy: A bottle of the inn's finest brandy. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Antivan_Brandy> >
  * Brandy: The smell of alcohol almost overpowers the faint whiff of elderberries coming from this bottle. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Brandy> >
  * Dorian:  _(Exalted Plains - find Valorin during Someone to Lose)_ Looks like Minrathous after Satinalia. Just so you know, blood magic and brandy is a devastating mix.  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dorian_Pavus/Dialogue> >
  * **Oghren:**   _(In banter with Sigrun)_ "I'm like a cherry soaked in brandy. Plump...juicy...and full of intoxicating flavor."  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Oghren> >
  * In memory of Tug, every year Leliana drinks a bottle of distilled Antivan plum brandy and pours some out in his memory, intoning "Atrast tunsha, salroka." ( _World of Thedas_ , vol. 2, p. 86.)



**Gin**

  * _Benediction:_ Prophet's Laurel gin served with a wedge of lime and a thimble of Golden Scythe.  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Gilded_Horn%27s_Drink_List> >



**Rum**

  * 3 barrels of rum, Hanged Man < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Captain_Reiner%27s_Accounts> >
  * _The Hissing Drake:_ A bold mix of cinnamon-infused whiskey, dark Llomerryn rum, and Hirol's Lava Burst. Not for the faint of stomach. (or heart!)  < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Gilded_Horn%27s_Drink_List> >
  * **Felsi** : What can I get for you? And don't say mead. We ran out of that a week ago. And don't say rum, either. Ran out the day before yesterday. And don't say brandy. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Felsi> >
  *   **Isabela** : Only if they end with a gallon of rum and a new bed to plunder. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Isabela/Dialogue> >



**Whisky/Whiskey**

  * Mackay's Epic Single Malt: This whiskey is older than the Maker and smoother than elven baby-butt. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mackay%27s_Epic_Single_Malt> >
  * _The Hissing Drake:_ A bold mix of cinnamon-infused whiskey, dark Llomerryn rum, and Hirol's Lava Burst. Not for the faint of stomach. (or heart!)   < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Gilded_Horn%27s_Drink_List> >
  * Duke Pierpone: Wants to entertain Fereldan relatives. A barrel of whiskey and three wheels of cheese to be delivered to his quarters this evening. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Notes_on_Palace_Guests> >
  * In a friendship, Isabela will invite Hawke to sit, ordering the Hanged Man's best whiskey for him/her.  < [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Questioning_Beliefs_(Isabela_Act_2)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Questioning_Beliefs_%28Isabela_Act_2%29) >
  * Legacy White Shear: Peculiar and rare, a single run of this spirit took color and what has been optimistically been called flavor from lyrium in the cask's bilge hoop. A sipping whisky if you value your innards. Circa 790 T.E. (See also: <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Lyrium-Laced_Bilge_Hoop> ) < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Legacy_White_Shear> >
  * He poured a glass of smoky Fereldan whisky and carried it out to the patio where a sandy-haired fellow was attempting to play the lute. Or murder the lute. Or murder the concept of music itself. It probably didn't help that the man was holding the lute straight out in front of him as if he feared it were a snake that might bite him. < <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Hard_in_Hightown:_Chapter_%3F%3F%3F> >
  * "Positioned between the Hinterlands and the rest of the Korcari Wilds, Dosov has made a profitable business of producing wildwine (which is not technically a wine, but rather, a grain alcohol) from ryott. Wildwine is much stronger than beer and is a favored beverage among the Chasind in this region. The barrels in the flat boats contain goods traded for the last supply of wildwine shipped downriver to other Chasind communities." - Blood In Ferelden, pg. 25
  * "She sits at a small table with a ceramic bottle of wildwine and two small cups." - Blood in Ferelden, pg 25




	37. A Guide to the Kirkwall Below Kirkwall (1/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#flora), 9:41 Dragon.

Down below the streets of Kirkwall lie the ancient mines now known as Darktown, in which the poorest of the city's people take refuge, and gangs of thugs wrestle for control of important territory and access to the streets above. It is on this level -- these levels, really, since Darktown reaches from just below the streets of Hightown down to tunnels that butt up against the docks, and some say they reach even further, if one includes the sewers in their maps, reaching as far as the ancient Tevinter prison of the Gallows -- that the entrances to an ancient Tevinter ruin are concealed.  
  
Between the pockets of chokedamp and the smell of mouldering excrement, another city exists, one separated from the sewers and mineshafts of Darktown by hidden doors, thick walls, and ancient runes that divert the attention. From time to time, as the Coterie seeks to expand their territory, smashing through walls that have stood for centuries, ancient texts and tools show up on the black market. But, the true Undercity existed only in rumour and the occasional half destroyed cellar of an ancient estate, until the ancient runes began to give way, in 9:37. It is said that the failure of runes supporting the roof of a thousand-year-old Tevinter shrine caused Kirkwall's Chantry to collapse, while less dramatic failures result in the sudden appearance of doors leading into the unlit depths of precisely-crafted Tevinter architecture.  
  


### Corridors and Carvings

The hallways of the Undercity, for I hesitate to call them tunnels, are shorter than much Imperial construction of the time, possibly due to the fact that the hidden city was not intended for use as a public spectacle. Still, though the three-storey high dome and pillar ceilings are lacking, the engravings are still perfectly clear and very well-preserved. Near the centre of Hightown, a ring wraps the city, or as best a ring as can be achieved, with the harbour in the way. Six massive halls radiate outward, in directions that would place their ends beneath some of Kirkwall's tallest and most recognisable buildings -- including the Viscount's Keep, the Merchants' Guild, and the remains of the Chantry -- and another leads inward and down, presumably to the heart of the city. From these, rooms and other small corridors open, making what would've been an easily traversable web of streets beneath the city.  
  
The rightmost corridor, if one is facing into Hightown, would take one underneath the Merchants' Guild, and through some cosmic humour, perhaps, it is decorated with engravings of fire and forge. A man with a bellows stands larger than many chained slaves hauling, melting, and casting what can be presumed to be metal. Other people, marked as mages but not magisters, finish the work on a variety of projects, from shackles to swords to filigreed pieces of some larger thing, never shown in full. Before the second set of doors, sealed by order of the Gallows, there is an engraving of a dozen elves without eyes, pouring something into rune-engraved squares.  
  
The next corridor passes beneath the market, but with a count of steps, must continue beyond it, though there are enough buildings that way that I dare not hazard a guess which it ends beneath. Much of that part of Hightown now has Orlesian décor. But, the tunnel is decorated with pictures of magisters on clifftops and swirling skies. In some panels, it's almost possible to make out shapes in the storm -- dragons, faces, spirits, broken chains -- but a closer look reveals there's no such shape. It's just the angle of the light, when one isn't looking straight at the image.  
  
The corridor leading to the purported Shrine to Urthemiel, set beneath the Kirkwall Chantry's vaults, was decorated with painted engravings, between groups of doors, along the length -- some of which survived the blast of stone and dust from the collapse. In that corridor, the images are, to judge from the clothing and symbols, tales of the city's builders. Panoramic views of construction, with a magister overlooking them, predominate, with smaller scenes of drafting and architectural tools in use. Above the doors, runes for protection and minor illusions form an attractive upper molding.  
  
Another hall, this one sealed early on, though maps indicate it contained primarily dormitories, contains two engravings leading up to the sealed door. On the left, a woman holds up what appears to be an ogre's head, in triumph, while ranks of mages face fore, below her. To the sides, groups of scribes appear, with praise to Razikale streaming down from above to their pens. On the right wall, a great dragon, Razikale herself, stretches along the top, and beneath, a nearly life-size row of what in any other context I would assume to be templars, but I believe, given the decoration behind the helmets, that they may be armoured spirits of some kind. Courage? Leadership?  
  
Another hall that comes to a quick stop passes beneath the Viscount's Keep and likely terminates there. The Keep has been the centre of government in Kirkwall since the city was built, so it stands to reason that engravings dedicated to the Most High of the Old Gods would be found there. Acolytes are shown without mouths, poised as if in song, empty parchment behind their heads. Spread across several panels lies a dragon with an ear trumpet in its mouth, and the whispers of worshippers below are drawn in and swallowed.  
  
The final corridor radiating into Hightown passes through the red lantern district, and likely beneath the Blooming Rose. This one features images of owls and the moon. Acolytes in these engravings have enormous eyes, and some have rotated their heads to impossible angles. Stars litter the middle of the panels, and along the bottom, chained slaves sleep, their dreams becoming winds that support the owls' wings. In the details, other figures are hidden -- either warriors or hunters, armed with bows and spears, their eyes on the viewer, rather than anything in the image.  
  
The seventh corridor leads toward the city centre, rather than radiating out from it, and features the Old God Andoral, and thousands of chained slaves in a pattern along the bottom of the wall. Legends of famous slave-hunters and grand sacrifices are played out toward a grand rotunda, at the far end, still stinking with centuries of blood sacrifice. The runes are fresh, here, and I will need to put in a request at the Gallows to view the rotunda, which is probably sealed to keep the stench contained, although the binding runes at the corners of the doors are cause for some concern. Perhaps it is not only the stench trapped within.

\-- From Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by Flora, an Adventurer, 9:41 Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### References:
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Enigma_of_Kirkwall
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Kirkwall_-_Darktown
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Awiergan_Scrolls:_Pride_Unbound
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Toth
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Zazikel
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Urthemiel
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Razikale
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dumat
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Lusacan
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Andoral
> 



	38. A Guide to the Kirkwall Below Kirkwall (2/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#flora), 9:41 Dragon.

**Shrines, Summonings, and Sacrifice**  
  
Beyond the halls, what remains is rarely available for public view, whether due to the infestation of ancient demons bound into the walls, the aggressive defence of the Coterie, or the modern door seals installed by teams of demon-hunters out of the Gallows. Those teams, I understand, are composed of templars and mages working together to clear away the demonic remnants of the ancient Tevinter occupants of the city. Some of what they have uncovered is recorded in great detail in public record, if often with the exact location obscured.  
  
Perhaps most importantly, there are stone channels that run even through parts of Darktown that have served as sewers for centuries, and those channels were not designed to carry waste, but to carry the blood of sacrifices. The largest of these, according to sources within the Gallows, follow the major corridors of the Undercity, though it appears that nearly every Tevinter structure still standing in Hightown may have a smaller channel extending from the cellars. One assumes those are long-since bricked over, as few buildings still have ancient altars in their cellars.  
  
The viscount, himself, it is written, was on the expedition that uncovered the Shrine to Urthemiel, a room with a lifelike statue of a massive dragon in the centre and shelves full of unidentified decorative objects around the walls. (Though there are sketches, I am hesitant to record my first thoughts on the matter.) An altar with the usual blood channels, leading into the depths below the floor, sat before the dragon, still with some ritual tools upon it. Mirror-backed lamps are recorded as having studded the support pillars, many in the shape of flowers or precise geometric shapes, though some in a form similar to the unidentified decorative objects along the back of the room. Truly amazing, the inset gem eyes of the dragon had survived the centuries without being pried out and sold, though, by now, the Chantry has surely removed anything of value and seen the rest destroyed, in their push to rebuild.  
  
Behind the door to the Corridor of Andoral, or so reports taken from the Kirkwall Gazette suggest, a huge, round chamber occupies the city core, and many of the blood channels reportedly terminate there, in a trough that wraps around the edge of the room. Accounts of the discovery of the chamber report the loss of three Chantry scholars, who attempted to defeat the ancient demon held within -- a demon apparently later handled by the demon-hunting teams from the Gallows. Artefacts recovered from this chamber are on display in an exhibition at the Keep, though many have been repatriated to their nations of origin. Nearly everything displayed appears to be the memorable symbol of a great ruler, and one wonders how a demon bound to these ancient halls beneath Kirkwall acquired crown, sceptres, and swords from as far off as Rivain and the Anderfels.  
  
Beneath the Gallows, though not part of the Undercity proper, has been reported a shrine to Andoral, defaced by generations of mages attempting to escape the island via the sewers that link it to the mainland. Most of the engravings are badly damaged, where they still remain at all, and what was most likely a statue of the Old God itself survives only as a pile of rubble. Interestingly, there are signs the shrine may, at one time, have been used by the templars, as crumpled letters, empty lyrium vials, and the occasional dirty sock have turned up amid the centuries of debris.  
  
Elsewhere under Kirkwall, proper, a demon-hunting team is said to have followed a maleficar back to the prison that held a demon so powerful and imprisoned so long it was thought to be a mere legend. The maleficar had attempted to free it from its Tevinter bindings, but Kirkwall's bravest arrived to slay them both and retrieve both a powerfully-enchanted grimoire and, it is said, one of the earliest replicas ever located of Archon Hessarian's sword. The grimoire is being held in one of the private collections, in the Gallows, as the power of its enchantment barely abated with the demon's death and the sword, though invaluable, remains in use, in the hands of one of Kirkwall's more scandalous lords.  
  
**Living and Libraries**  
  
The halls this author could enter freely seemed to be lined with living quarters, interspersed with the occasional toilet facility. The rooms seemed intended to house four to eight mages, depending on the size of the room, along with their personal belongings. Though they remain behind sealed doors, other personal rooms are said to exist in smaller numbers, these designed for only one or two inhabitants. The marks on the walls indicate that some of the more accessible rooms were once decorated with precious metals and possibly magical artefacts, those having long since been stripped away by scavengers.  
  
Interestingly, the toilet rooms seem to have been in a different style to those that remain in Kirkwall. Rather than feeding out into the sewers, they seem to be built over enormous cesspits, neatly lined with stone. Signs on the walls indicate concerns about excremental demons and suggest that the toilets are not linked to the sewers out of concerns for octopi creeping in and disturbing the experiments.  
  
Other rooms held grand fires and enormous tables and were linked to hidden kitchens, themselves leading out into quarters for slaves, presumably the ones not intended for sacrifice. Despite Tevinter's predilection for blood sacrifice, the living quarters seem to be free of the sacrificial altars and blood channels found in other parts of the Undercity. Still, cracks in the floor of the hallways reveal darkly-stained stone beneath, suggesting that while the blood may not have flowed freely through these particular places, channels from further in still passed through.  
  
Tattered lounging furniture remains, arced before massive fireplaces, in rooms that bear images of infamous magisters and archons along the walls. Thalsian receiving whispers from Dumat and Darinius in the Deep Roads are popular images, but one can find the faces of less common archons as well, including Tidarion and Melos, along with several I do not recognise at all. The image of Magister Emerius Krayvan decorates the space above the fire in all these rooms that I have encountered, presumably in recognition of him as the founder of Kirkwall, which once bore his name. It is safe to assume that these rooms were intended for relaxation, and despite the wear of the centuries, it would be small work to make them comfortable again.  
  
It is primarily conjecture that leads me to write of libraries beneath the city streets, but judging from the explorations of the Undercity brought to light in the Gazette, certain ancient Tevinter texts have appeared on the black market in groups that lead to the speculation that they were found and sold together. Given the damage to the walls of the Undercity, it's difficult to pin down where these books may have come from, but given that there seem to be sets of no more than five sold publicly, I would expect they came primarily from the dormitories. Still, many of the books sold were noted as having been marked along the top edge and inside the front cover with notations suggesting they came from a much larger collection. It is likely that the bulk of the collection, and whatever room it was stored in, have not yet been excavated, or the markets would have been flooded with ancient texts of varying value.  
  
With that in mind, I expect the Undercity's library or libraries exist along the corridor of Razikale, which is decorated with images of scribes. The Gallows has already chosen to seal the entire corridor, using the original doors and new runes, so it is difficult to get a clear impression of what might be along that hall, though I would expect to find facilities for research and documentation for whatever work was being done, here in the depths. Unfortunately, without the depths of this corridor available to me -- or any other scholar, I'm told -- I can only speculate.

\-- from Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#flora), 9:41 Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **References:**
> 
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Awiergan_Scrolls:_Pride_Unbound
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Enigma_of_Kirkwall
>   * http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Fell_Grimoire
> 



	39. A Guide to the Kirkwall Below Kirkwall (3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#flora), 9:41 Dragon.

**Unconfirmed Rumour**  
  
Rumours abound in regard to what might be concealed in the Undercity, and in all my research, I have been unable to confirm these, but I reproduce them in the hope that some future explorer might be able to confirm or deny the existence of these places and things with greater certainty.  
  
A secret market, the ultimate black market, one might say, is said to be hidden beneath the streets of Kirkwall, though none can say just where it is. The proprietor is rumoured to be an immortal being -- possibly a spirit or a demon -- who trades in ancient magical secrets and artefacts. Some say the shop is guarded by a stone golem once used to fight in the First Blight, but I do not think a golem would pass unremarked, even in Darktown or the Undercity. Kirkwall's odd proliferation of dumbstruck urchins are said to be the messengers of the shop's owners, but attempts to follow them back to the shop have led to nothing more than the usual haunts of street children.  
  
Specific, named demons of legend are said to lurk in the Undercity, from the terrors of ancient Tevinter to names no elf will repeat. While demons are obviously fairly prolific in the depths, most of these particular demons remain rumour alone. With the teams of demon-hunters from the Gallows, though, it is safe to assume every corner of the Undercity will be purged of demonic influence, in time. If the like of Gaxkang or Fen'Harel are to be found below, this author has no doubt they will be summarily dragged into the present day, where humanity has the power to strike them down where they stand.  
  
Tales abound of a nobleman from the Steel Age who pursued immortality with all his vast resources, until the day he vanished, long past the end of a reasonable life. His body was never found, and speculation is that he was driven out of the city above by those distrustful of his intentions and the magic his wealth might be able to buy. Some stories end with the suggestion that this immortal nobleman is still lurking beneath Kirkwall, perhaps having made deals with the demons Tevinter left behind. In his wake, magic in the blood of Kirkwall's noble families was viewed with even more suspicion -- as a sign that he still lived and sought to reclaim his seat on the council with a new name and a good marriage.  
  
Rumour has it that Hightown may have been built atop an elven settlement, from when Tevinter first conquered the land. The ancient ruins discovered beneath the Harimann estate, during the last construction done there in the early 9:30s, do not match any known Tevinter styles, but there is too much structural damage to travel too deep. Notably, the architecture is also not dwarven, despite the strong dwarven presence in Kirkwall and the ruins of ancient dwarven cities along the Deep Roads in the Vimmarks. Though records suggest Tevinter took this land from the southern tribes -- perhaps the Alamarri, the Planasene, or the Daefads -- the Dalish claim that Sundermount and the surrounding lands were once a seat of their long-lost empire. I can say, though, with some certainty, that the Harimann estate lies between the corridors of Razikale and Dumat.  
  
I have heard tales that the corridors may cross the Deep Roads, which is not such an unreasonable story. Tevinter has always been close with the dwarven settlement under Minrathous, and before the Blights, the nation was said to have treaties with the whole of the dwarven empire. Surely such an important city as Kirkwall would maintain a trade route to the Deep Roads, though whether that is beneath the city, proper, or relegated to the known settlements beneath the Vimmarks is unknown. No Deep Roads exit to the sea has been found in the coast around Kirkwall, so it is unlikely the bay was used like the ports of Gwaren, in the south.  
  
The streets of Kirkwall are often described as labyrinthine, which is not that far off, given the number of visitors who are rescued by the guard on a regular basis. There is no basic grid of streets arranged in a sensible pattern above, though below you could test a lodestone by the halls. Conversations with one of the architects of the Lowtown renovation reveals that the streets of Hightown, specifically, are arranged in an ancient rune and that Lowtown may have tried to mimic it, once the quarry gave out. Unfortunately, I've met no one who can identify the purpose of the rune, beyond to say that it is an ancient dwarven symbol that is no longer in use. Still, where a rune is drawn in the streets of a city full of demons and human sacrifice, one must ask if those things are related. I would venture that the blood magic sacrifices once gave power to the rune, whatever its purpose.  
  
While nothing is certain, at this point, the echoes of centuries of rumour still haunt the halls of the Undercity, and as the restoration continues, many mysteries may yet be resolved.

\-- From Beneath the Labyrinth: a Journey Into Kirkwall's Undercity, by [Flora, an Adventurer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#flora), 9:41 Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **References**
> 
>   * [Codex entry: The Black Emporium](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Black_Emporium)
>   * [Codex entry: Forbidden Knowledge](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Forbidden_Knowledge)
>   * [Hybris](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Hybris)
>   * [Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Xenon_the_Antiquarian)
>   * [Harimann Estate](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Harimann_Estate)
>   * [Cavern of Dead](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cavern_of_Dead)
>   * [Codex entry: The Enigma of Kirkwall](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Enigma_of_Kirkwall)
> 



	40. An Overview of Toilets Among the Peoples of Thedas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _An Overview of Toilets Among the Peoples of Thedas_ , by [Marco Belmayne](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Belmayne), University of Orlais, 9:34 Dragon

In most parts of Thedas, excrement is handled similarly -- some variant of digging a hole and burying it. But the treatment of waste varies subtly across cultures and economic strata, going from the pestilent cesspools of Denerim slums to the sea-draining sewers of the Altus of Minrathous. No matter how far up one goes, the problem remains the same -- this stuff has to go somewhere.

Across Ferelden and near the Heartlands of Orlais, cesspits and cesspools are commonplace, and they are emptied by nightsoil collectors. The collectors sell to rural fertilizer producers, who also end up with animal manure, often collected by the same haulers. The fertilizer is then resold to farmers, proving once and for all that money can be made from anything. But, what by what means does the excrement go from its producer to the cesspool or pit, in the first place? Generally, an assortment of pot and bucket fixtures, from the simple chamberpot to the bench and bucket cupboard to the folding commode so popular in Orlesian summerhouses. One uses the buckets as necessary, and at the end of the day, they're collected and emptied, sometimes more often to control the stink.

In places with ancient Tevinter architecture, Tevinter toilets and slop-holes are common, with both leading into either subterranean chambers or actual sewers, which often drain into a nearby river or sea. Tevinter toilets are generally seats with holes and lids that either connect directly to a sewer or collection chamber, on the ground floor of a building or to drains leading down, on the upper floors. Needless to say, the drains were not built to last for millennia, and they often leak inside the walls, which can lead to pooling anywhere the pipe passes through a floor. The lids keep the stench to a minimum, but they do not keep out a variety of vermin, from rodents to the proverbial toilet kraken of Qarinus, said to climb up from the sea, each night, in search of fish sauce. Some ancient graffiti suggests this sauce did not involve any actual fish, and that the kraken was a demon of unspeakable desires. I'm certainly not going to say more about them. But, the toilet kraken is not the only demon said to frequent the sewers of the ancient Imperium. Even collection chambers without outputs were said to be inhabited by demons of fire, prepared to roast the bottoms of the unprepared.

Slop-holes, in Tevinter architecture, are holes in the floor without seats, into which chamber pots can be emptied. They are, most often, too small to fit a man, as they seem to have been placed at the ends of dead-end hallways in slave quarters -- usually on the ground floor or under it, putting these immediately above the sewers and collection chambers, in most great houses. Even today, private homes of the Laetans and Soporati, in the cities, frequently include a slop-hole and collection chamber, as the Imperium prefers to keep its filth concealed.

As one moves further from the cities, into smaller communities -- usually those that do their own farming -- families that produce their own fertilizer become more common. They do not allow collection of their excrement or the manure of their animals, preferring to mix it with straw and kitchen rubbish to be used in the garden, the following year. Some homes maintain a two-pile system, with the fresh pile being added to daily and the other pile being stirred once a month. Others keep the fresh pile in a collection chamber under the house, Tevinter style, with an external hatch, like a cellar, from which it can be bailed out into the working pile. The working pile is, of course, tilled into the field at the start of each planting season. Of course, some of these compost piles burst into flames, when improperly tended, leading one to imagine that the ancient Tevinter 'toilet demons' may also have had a similar origin.

Though nearly nothing remains of the ancient ruins the Dalish cling so tightly to, in some rare places, where the floors are still intact, the remains of hollow seats with what some scholars claim are fire runes have been found. Unfortunately, the damage to the runes is such that none have been found intact. However, this raises the spectre of intentional fire-breathing toilets. It is unclear what purpose intentional flames would have served, so the runes may well be something else -- some lost feature of decoration or magic, as the Dalish do not appear to still have any such thing, with most tribes digging latrine trenches to last as long as they stay in a place, and then burying them when they leave. It is said the plants are always greener around the edges of popular Dalish campsites, and while this has been attributed to some ancient racial magic of the elves, it's just as likely to be their excrement-handling methods.

In Orzammar, scholars encountered many toilets in the homes of the Noble Caste, in the Diamond Quarter, that expelled their contents into the ring of lava surrounding the city. The drains and sewers involved had a variety of valves and pumps, tended by a particular subset of the Servant caste, who ensured the pipes would draw the waste away from its origin. And that did seem to be the case -- the pipes did make a violent sound when the opening lever on the toilet fixture was touched, and a small downward wind could be felt. In the Commons, with the exception of the Proving Grounds, closed pits in the stone of the city are more common, complete with the nightsoil collectors one might expect in a surface city. Composting is less common, but the excrement is sold in bulk to mushroom farmers, who provide a great deal of Orzammar's staple food. Although most scholars were not permitted to visit Dust Town, due to safety concerns, it is understood that cesspools and pits are fairly common among the Casteless, with the Carta maintaining a monopoly on nightsoil collection -- where it happens at all -- and selling it to unscrupulous farmers who, for whatever reason, are unwilling or unable to use a legitimate source.

At last we come to the Qunari, but there is little to say. All record of Qunari toilets are questionable, at best, as few who visit Qunari settlements return, and those who do were rarely focused on the toilet facilities, while they were there. Still, reports indicate they may be using some sort of composting method, as under the Qun, nothing goes to waste.

\-- From _An Overview of Toilets Among the Peoples of Thedas_ , by [Marco Belmayne](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033208/chapters/14609560#Belmayne), University of Orlais, 9:34 Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #### Sources:
> 
>   * [Me threatening to write this codex and all the amazing responses that came with it](https://penbrydd.tumblr.com/post/145028768658/ageofdragon-rederiswrites-barbex)
>   * [Shitty Shitters of History: a brief exploration of 5000 years of toilets](https://penbrydd.tumblr.com/post/144900898403/shitty-shitters-of-history-a-brief-exploration-of)
> 



	41. A Brief Overview of Tevinter Architectural and Design Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal, by Marco Belmayne

The ruins of the Tevinter occupation of southern Thedas date from the height of the Imperium, a time when Tevinter had carved a wide path into the barbarian lands and settled in with fortresses and temple complexes. Regardless of the location, across Ferelden and Orlais, these ruins are easily marked as Tevinter construction by their stepped spires and hexagonal highlights. Everything points up, and why not, since the ancient Imperium was obsessed with claiming the power beyond the Veil. Tevinter fortresses and temples are often broad buildings with stark, sharp profiles -- towers, spires, and metal talons jutting upward to pierce the sky.  
  
Let us begin at the pinnacle of so many Tevinter fortresses, the pyramidal tops of the narrow spires. Most often, these pyramids are tipped with an octagonal ornament, like a cut gem, below which the pyramid descends five steps to the top of the spire. The corners of each step are sculpted in what appears to be a diamond-shape with a winged upper tip around the corner edge, giving an impression of tiny wisps rising from the stone. Taller pyramidal tops, more rarely used, are smoother, but still stepped. These are needle-topped and seven-stepped, which is somewhat more in keeping with what we, in the south, have come to think of as the Tevinter mindset -- seven gods, seven steps.  
  
Taller still, the bladed tips sometimes attached to the five-stepped pyramids. These massive pieces of metal are sculpted to look like claws stretching up toward the sky, but it is the rounded, outward-facing edge of them that is narrowed, as opposed to the inner, straight edge. It is speculated that  these and other less-decorative metal spikes set along the tops of the walls may have been intended to discourage dragons from taking too close an interest in the buildings. Metal spikes also appear jutting from high on the walls, stretched outward, rather than upward, in square-bottomed lances extending from triangular metal bases.  
  
Many Tevinter fortresses feature crenellations along the outer walls, but rather than the rectangular merlons found in Ferelden and dwarven architecture, the Tevinter style uses a double-layered triangular merlon with the usual rectangular crenels on the inner layer -- the change in slope caused by setting square-edged coping only on the points of the merlons -- and inverse half-hexagonal gaps between triangles on the outer layer. The merlons are pierced straight through with lozenge-shaped loop-holes large enough to accept a ballista bolt. The inner side of these is hollowed out in a way that tapers toward the loop-holes and provides some shelter from the sides to any person standing within. Below the crenellations, on the outer walls, most Tevinter outposts feature hexagonal bosses with a flat outer plate, a raised border inside it, and a round ball in the centre. In cases where the walls are tall and uninterrupted, there may be a line of zig-zagged darker brickwork below the bosses. The bottoms of the walls are decorated to the height of a man with three rows of engraving and then another row of triangular stonework. The lower engraving is a large row of diamond shapes with smaller diamonds set in groups of three and a half between the upper points, and the necessary triangular gaps below. The second row consists of a zig-zag pattern of slender barrels with pentagonal caps at the joints. The cap row has downward-pointing pyramids with an out-facing edge, in a darker stone. Finally, the stonework triangles appear to be the same ones used on the outer layer, above, still pointing toward the sky.  
  
The outer entrances to these fortresses are often massive metal doors with peaked tops. Hexagonal designs predominate, with one at each corner of the main body of the door and another in the centre. The centre hexagon contains what appear to be two stylised leaves springing from a smaller central hexagon, which itself sprouts an upward bar terminating in a diamond figure at the peak of the outer hexagon. To either side of the bar are outward-facing beaked heads, most likely griffons, tongues extended. A somewhat less common design involves a nowed dragon, facing inward, on each door, surrounded by a thick, squared border to three edges of the door, with diamond shaped insets in those three edges and clipped inner corners on the top. Below are three raised strips, the space between the first two containing the door handles and the space below the last terminating in what seems to be a stylised representation of mountains.  
  
Where a gate will suffice, those are made up of vertical bars as wide as a man's arm and tipped in spear-shaped points, spaced just barely too close to pass between, with narrower horizontal bars for bracing. Hexagonal shapes decorated with some sort of angular engraving and containing spear-pointed crosses decorate the place where one might expect handles on a more human-sized gate as well as rising in a column between two posts, beside the supporting wall, to hold the hinges. The same hexagons also appear at the same distance from the upward-angled top of the gate as the 'handles'. Outdoor railings, in the places they exist, most frequently at the edges of staircases and encircling high platforms lacking the crenelated edges of the battlements, are often in the fashion of the gates, crossed hexagons and spear shapes.  
  
In the case of passages that have no doors, two types are common, both corbelled arches with unusual façades. The first is very similar to the dwarven style of arch, but instead of emphasizing the horizontal steps, in the dwarven style, it covers them in strips that suggest the steps are vertical. Though vertical steps, in direct opposition to the proper nature of the physical laws of Thedas, would be a terribly Tevinter thing to do, no sign of supporting runes has been found and the passages do show interior signs of having been built in the dwarven fashion. The second style dips inward, first, like the top will square off, and then rises up straight to terminate in a final triangular peak. The insides of these arches are generally set with small stones to hide the steps of the actual corbelling, and the façade, which emphasizes the final shape, complete with terminal flourish, is wide enough to conceal the edges.  
  
Once inside, the floors are often composed of hexagonal tile, with some grand decoration in the centre in larger rooms. Where the decorations remain sufficiently intact to judge, some are grand octagonal insets with compass roses at the centre, pointing to four of the sides. A grid makes squares of the centre and the sides the compass rose points to, and each of the eight sides is pierced by a flaming sword. As those swords are clearly the same design as the Sword of Mercy emblazoned on the armour of the Templar Order, it might be tempting to name it as such, though the places it appears far pre-date the Andrastian faith. Instead, I believe it to be a form of the Tevinter sword of justice, shown in the constellation Judex. Another floor decoration seems to be a metal sunburst with a pyramidal spike in the centre, which is also suggestive, but I will address the sunburst imagery in a later section.  
  
Indoor staircases occasionally have the hexagonal rails common outdoors, but more often they have rails with a row of diamond shapes on either side, offset by half, each diamond joined to the next with a diamond-shaped ornament that covers the meeting of the corners and is centred to the diamond on the other side. This produces an attractive, if somewhat dizzying, stripe of alternating open and closed diamond shapes down the centre of the larger rows of overlapping diamonds. This style of rail is also used along indoor balconies, in some places. Where sections meet, at corners, and to mark the ends of staircases, five-step pyramids are used for posts, often in a green stone.  
  
Ceilings are often quite high in aboveground rooms, not including those intended for military use, which are quite plain and of an average height, leaving room for great expanses of wall, most often a cream-coloured stone with dark metal bearing framing the peaks of the double-inset niches that rise up to join the magically-supported ribbed ceiling vaults. The upward points of those peaks bear arrow-shaped ornaments on the inner niche and diamond shaped ornaments on the outer. Where the walls meet the ceiling, the final peaks bear a diamond pattern with two squares removed to show the stone beneath, giving the impression of crossed lines or rising leaves. Between wall panels sit ribs decorated with what appear to be entwined snakes. The upper ends are tapered outward into points that jut into the room, supporting the ceiling vaults, and the bottoms also taper, but parallel to the walls.  
  
At times, the walls are decorated with simple, painted symbols, most often six green snakes around a golden trapezoid, a sunburst with a red circle, with top and bottom arcs, at the centre; a diamond shape I have yet to determine the nature of, having not encountered it sufficiently undamaged, and the most obvious, the serpent and dragon symbol of the Imperium. These are generally rendered in green and gold, aside from the centre of the sunburst, which calls for further comment. We have come to understand the sunburst with its central eye, even in the rough form seen here, as an Andrastian symbol of the Maker, but the symbol appears roughly as it does here in the constellation Solium, which has represented the sun since Neromenian times -- serpents, dragons, and the sun itself representing the power of the empire and the connection to the Old Gods, and through them to the divine essence of Thedas, which we now know to be the Maker, who needs no dragons to speak for him.  
  
The inner doors are often metal, like the outer doors, and often bear the same patterns -- nowed dragons and repeating hexagons with griffon heads, each topped with an upward-pointing triangular cap, with flourishes at the corners. In the most complex of these, the innermost triangle of the design contains half a sunburst and the outermost is capped with a wide-tailed arrow. Windows, not all of them set in outer walls, continue the arrow motif, with tall, arrow-tipped openings centred in the niches in the walls. The windows are set with diagonal muntins, creating a diamond pattern that complements the railings.  
  
In from the walls and doors, we come to the matter of decorative fixtures -- banners, statues, furniture. Banners and statues are, as might be expected, in designs common to Imperial history -- dragons, wyverns, and famed magister-priests whose names have been lost to the ravages of time. But, it is the furniture where we see the architectural elements become symbolic design elements that draw the eye to matters of importance. The swallowtail chairbacks, for instance, are reminiscent of the flourishes found at the corners of door frames, but the triangular etching does not point up as it does in so much else, it points down. For a shape so often used to draw the eye to the divine to suddenly point to earth seems blasphemous, but it all becomes clear when one examines an oft overlooked feature of Tevinter design, the toilet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd cite my references, but it's like 500 screenshots of Coracavus, the Still Ruins, Razikale's Reach, the Shrine of Dumat, Griffon Wing Keep, and a bunch of other shit in the Western Approach. Most of those can be found here, if you feel the need to go digging through my screenshots:
> 
>   * [Frostback Basin](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO3Nhpwgo8wXCgOS31rGEPanbfjR8rpJeqHWG_8zJ4wB-xmdxzSdrGqkNOBfMK_CQ?key=emlDeURvWkxjXzdqbEZuTlBHMmZsVm5TU0FKeDBB)
>   * [Western Approach](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM1iXJUqLdM-lxasZh6epDvFATY8979A_2uRIh6KRA64s6wZSLZkgQrWunSqrM7aA?key=U1FKQlNiUXp0SGFnOUJ5YjVaUjk4aXhqdVIyVEpR)
>   * [Shrine of Dumat](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP1hRsrjVwE59hsuCtkGlejupE0SpY52JES-PiV2TH22366azOnUmYquTnA0d2TCA?key=aFZUaFczcWVMX09ROTVMMzFsSXNROFVaZWg1ZVhB)
> 



	42. A Brief Overview of Dwarven Architectural and Design Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal, by Marco Belmayne

Dwarven architecture is, at its essence, unlike any other Thedosian style, in that it is not built from the ground up, but carved into existing stone. There is no concern for whether the joints are tight enough, because the dwarven style is nearly seamless, aside from the few places where columns may have been added to a hall after the fact. Instead, far more attention is paid to decorative elements and lighting, with reflective strips of metal in walls and statuary wholly commonplace. At a glance, it seems obvious that dwarven architecture influenced the Tevinter style, notably in terms of pentagonal elements and stepped arches, which persist through both styles.

Let us begin our tour at the bottom, this time, with the hewn stone floors of the average dwarven thaig. While the floors could be cut smooth and thought no more of, it is more common, particularly in older thaigs and high-status locations, for the floors to be carved as if tiled, or in some cases actually tiled. The royal palace of Orzammar, for instance, has a well-worked floor, in contrast to the faux-natural ceiling. Common shapes for these floor 'tiles' are octagonal with diamond spacers. In the ruins of some ancient thaigs and outposts recently reclaimed after the Fifth Blight the floor tiles are trimmed with the same reflective metal that is used in the walls. Rugs also appear, in some places, in surprisingly bright colours, given the unpainted stone of most dwarven structures, most often red and gold. These, too, are frequently octagonal, or in the case of runners, not rectangular as one might see in Ferelden or Orlais, but in a shape reminiscent of the pillars.

Walls are almost inevitably hewn smooth and then engraved and inlaid, with faux pillars carved out of the stone, in some places. A common design is an otherwise smooth wall, with a band of different-coloured stone, often red, in stripes, with reflective metallic trim at the top and bottom. In longer halls, the bottom of these bands take on a squared wave pattern. These bands seem to be composed of strips of inlaid stone of no particular length, and the edges of the strips are fairly clear, in older structures, where the edges have worn down with the passage of time and possibly water. Where pilasters are used, there is occasionally the impression of a cloister, with stepped arches above the pilasters -- never a rounded edge in a dwarven structure -- and a matching path inlaid in metal or an accent stone, high on the wall, just under the arch.

But, walls are not just an 'indoor' feature, and the walls facing the streets of a thaig, whether the outsides of buildings, the facing surfaces of the next level of a stepped thaig, or the walls that keep one from plummeting off the outer edge of a level into the cavern below are just as interesting. The outer walls of a building, in many cases, are little different to its inside walls or the walls of narrow tunnels, which is to say the design described above is still most common.

Walls that do not contain buildings are often modular, or designed to look modular, with each level of the wall decorated across the bottom with repeating patterns that look like a downturned bucket covering an upturned funnel, with each bucket and funnel in the design separated from the next by a small vertical stripe. I am willing to assume this is something to do with smithing or runecasting, until someone presents a more viable idea. Living dwarves have no idea what the shapes represent, as 'that's just what goes on those sorts of walls'. Those walls can be multiple layers high, as I've seen from two, on a short rise, to five protecting the edge of a long drop, with each layer slightly narrower than the previous one, recalling the stepped look of the doors and arches. Every few feet, these street walls are broken up with pilasters, like a stack of caps on the layers of the wall, the last rising up from the top to the height of a man's head. The shorter style of these carries the same bucket and funnel design as the rest of the wall, with a small band of differently-coloured stone, featuring repeating triangles, at what would be the top of each cap. The taller design does away with the bucket and funnel, featuring, instead, a jutting façade of a stepped pyramid, rising up to overlay what would be the bucket and funnel portion of the cap above it.

And that stepped design persists. Most often, doors and entries are in the shape of stepped arches, though they are carved into existing, natural stone walls. There is no concern of correctly placed keystones to interfere with a more graceful, rounded arch -- it would be no more difficult to carve such a shape -- but there is only the dwarven aesthetic, which tends toward hard corners far more often than my Orlesian eye expects. Often, these doors have façades of layered stone that might, in a surface structure, hint at corbelling, but here it is simply decorative, to draw the eye toward the door, where it might otherwise fade into a shadow. 

The doors, themselves, seem to often be one of two styles, and they are inset from the outer edge of the arch by three steps, each making the inner arch smaller. An ancient door design features a shape that seems to be an eye, top centre, with a 'v' shape beneath that becomes a short layer of angular dwarven knotwork, terminating about a third of the way down the door. Below that, the door is etched with stock dwarven phrases, first in three horizontal banners, one of the few places curves are seen in dwarven design, and then in columns stretching down from that. The phrases seem to be traditional, as they are always the same, where they appear at all -- things like 'the Stone shall watch over your coming in and going out', 'guardian of the doors of [thaig name]', 'this door stands open to riches, harmony, and health', 'this door stands ever closed to the gangue'. The centre of the door between and below the knotwork is free of the writing and bears a deep channel shaped like the blade of a sword, pointing upward and the 'v' stems from the top of it. Another, simpler, style of door in the same outer shape bears a simple decorative plaque down the centre, where the doors divide, decorated with a pattern like a jagged spearpoint above the door handles. Below the plaque, at the bottom of the door, is an arrangement of vertical strips of stone that is tallest in the centre, like a stylised mountain.

Few actual windows are used in dwarven structures, for obvious reasons -- the only place they can face is the street, which is lit in the same light as inside. There is no beneficial sunlight to be gained in adding another hole to a wall. However, in places one might expect to find windows, there are often cut-outs in the wall, again lined or trimmed in reflective metal, which give off an orangish light, from as dark as red to as light as yellow. I'm told these lights use channelled lava to provide the glow, but that is a lot of lava to not have cooled and jammed up the fixtures. Unfortunately, no one is terribly interested in allowing me to take one apart, for research.

Where these 'lava lamps' have failed -- many of them do sit dark, even in places the dwarves have retaken -- lamps with flame seem to have made up a large part of the difference. Many of the torches seem to have been imported from the surface, given the designs involved, and so I must discount those. There is, however, a pattern used in lamps and braziers -- some of them easily centuries old -- that is distinctly dwarven, a great angular knotwork in two crossed planes, a curve suggested at the bottom and a bowl suggested at the top. Most often, these are floor or table-mounted, in varying sizes, with the top of the 'bowl' actually holding a bowl for fuel. Many of these are oil lamps, as wood is somewhat difficult to come by in the Deep Roads. However, in some places, the same shape is used upside-down, mounted on the ceiling, with the bowl replaced with lyrium. Some of these old lamps still work, and they may still be produced in Orzammar, for a steep price, but with the dangers of working with lyrium, particularly raw lyrium, these lamps are uncommon.

Pilasters and pillars are inevitably squared, as once again, there are nearly no curves in dwarven architecture, and this is no exception. Two main designs seem prevalent -- I will call them 'grand' and 'standard', as that seems to reflect their usage. Both designs seem to mimic the stylised shape of joined stalactites and stalagmites -- building out at the top and bottom, with a slimmer centre joining the parts. 

Standard pillars are often set below cropped pyramidal shapes, carved from the ceiling of the cavern, set with a strip of reflective metal that wraps all the way around, with the bucket and funnel design around the top and a downward-facing squared arch on each side. Below that, the pillar begins with the bucket and funnel design, beneath which is a step in, on which is a design of squares containing the funnel shape, but without the buckets. Three more steps follow, of decreasing height and without decoration, and then the central section stretches down until the bottom section begins at an outward flare that terminates in the square and funnel pattern as it turns straight down again. Below that is a strip of reflective metal mirroring the design on the top of the pillar, but with the squared arch on each side facing upward. Beneath that is another flare leading into another line of bucket and funnel, below which is one more flare before the pillar squares out into a solid block at the bottom. Pilasters are frequently in this design, the only difference being that the pilaster is, as pilasters are, embedded in or carved from a wall, so only one face is fully decorated, as the others show only a tiny portion of the size of the front.

Grand pillars are a great deal more complicated, from the bottom. These are often used in ceremonial chambers, where they serve to direct the eye upward, for some unfathomable reason. These, I will begin at the bottom, where the pillar joins the floor in a flange with strips of metal along the last angle. Above that, a pentagon is stepped out from the body of the pillar on each side, with the final step inlaid with an equally pentagonal reflection of the wall insets -- the plain stone below, the stripe of metal with a central squared arch, and then the strips of darker stone. Above this pentagon, there is a reflection of the top angle in wider horizontal strips of stone that leads up into an extended pentagonal shape, like a stylised dart, which is interrupted halfway up its length by a small ledge of dark stone. The centre of the dart bears another of those omnipresent reflective strips and outside of the dart is a light stone frame, with inset reflective trim, that angles in to a flat top. This leaves the pillar squared, but with the corners lopped off, at this level. Above it, there is one row of the bucket and funnel pattern, and then the plain central pillar, its corners inverted, rises up until it meets the top. The top of the pillar is the inverse of the bottom, except that it is not clearly visible behind angular plates of stone with flat tips that extend downward from the ceiling joint and angle inward toward the pillar, in a stylised representation of the top of a stalactite. The plates do not meet, and the spaces at what would be the corners reveal the design beneath.

The ceilings are very rarely 'finished' as we'd think of that, in terms of surface cities. Often, the centre of a room will be left with the ceiling of the natural cavern it was carved out of, or if there was no cavern, it will be shaped in a way that suggests natural rock. In ruins, stalactites are common, but the structures have been abandoned so long that this is likely a natural occurrence over the course of centuries, rather than a design decision. Many times, in the streets of a thaig or in what we might consider plazas, rather than indoor rooms, the ceiling is the natural top of a cavern, far above even the tops of the decorative pillars. Where ceilings are finished, they are frequently either coffered or inset in a way that results in a single coffer per room, still with the steps along the edges.

While the ceilings are plain, the decorative articles are just as beautifully angular as the rest of dwarven construction. Most of the art in a thaig revolves around the history of the dwarven people. Grand engravings tell the stories of the construction of cities, the height of the empire, great battles of centuries past. Statues of the best of dwarves, the Paragons, guard important places. The Paragons seem to be represented in three forms. First, a bearded dwarf raising a double-ended hammer overhead is often used to represent the smiths, miners, and builders among the Paragons. A bearded dwarf with his hands lowered at his sides is often used to represent poets, politicians, and scholars. Finally, a beardless dwarf with her hands crossed on the pommel of a sword represents the warriors. Even in these statues, the curves are few, but they are anything but lifeless. One stands in the breath-taking presence of a Paragon, without a doubt.

The furniture, overall, is just as angular, with honeycomb-shaped bookcases and clip-cornered bedsteads. Still, a popular design for chairs, among the upper castes, seems to involve vines curling up from the top of a sphere, spread around another sphere, this one radiant, at the top. I must wonder if it hasn't been adapted from an Orlesian design or possibly an elven one. Still, the seats are stone, as with all dwarven furnishings, for all things in dwarven culture must return to the Stone, including excrement, which is facilitated by the design of the toilets of Orzammar...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I miss something? Yes. Do I care? Not right now.
> 
>  **References:**  
>  Screenshots from
> 
>   * [Crestwood](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO3T42VXD4ylZyhVeaPh6FNYMhlI5FlvW1ox95LFVskSfWsUX-cmZvdkcdt3nNHBQ?key=bkhIS0dqOHhxUUFwU3Bvdm53MnRCc09BT29sT0x3)
>   * [Descent/Heidrun Thaig](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMFholYtdBK-xuWmLbxvF5uGIacgED_FQEIhohKsrO8AhjXQ9tEGKHEGiCfL3Al8Q?key=ZkdyWG1fQjFFS2FxSTYzamFVWmhpcndUcGRKZENB)
>   * [Storm Coast](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNCe7U_t0TQX78bBF4lxDBSb0W7VoIMHBqbcsy3e4wsNMDFWrwUk0DSh3_ITv-UIg?key=SmJaNG5hQ3F5Q25xTnJmTDFJNm0ycFY4a1F1clJR)
>   * [Valammar](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMIYmqBGhfJNGZM2lvFJXejLbVOGpfEGGeFeFyzPcDSsbpdAVNdql63hNlqlHT9Dg?key=eTQyNDBGdlBVZy1jdWlqUVhtektmUXNGT0kxb1N3)
>   * [Hissing Wastes](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOYX-uN_zK61FlT6dBme_D62j4VqUh_LbWzpR9GY0tD_GlkribyorD3cC8ggyDL-g?key=Nk0taVNTdEkyQlg3bE1yX21IeEo2ZmxEb0pVcVlB)
> 



	43. A Brief Overview of (modern) Avvar Architectural and Design Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne

The Avvar are considered one of the barbarian tribes of the south, and though they once had the skill and resources to construct mighty fortresses, like Kinloch Hold and Vigil's Keep, they are far come from that, in our own age. Their stonework is still impressive, to judge by the statues that dot the mountains near current and former settlements, but they do not build homes or other shelters from stone. Instead, some buildings make use of existing caves in the mountainside and most are built of simple planks, in a style not unfamiliar to Lowland Fereldan villages. Homes and public buildings are rarely more than a single storey, some with raised lofts beneath the roof for storage or platforms that use some roof space for curing and drying. Both round and rectangular buildings are common, though those with corners are easier to extend and shape around natural features. Few 'L' shaped buildings exist, but they are not so much rare as only used for larger public spaces.  
  
Let us begin at the tops of these rustic buildings, with the pitched roofs, made of wooden planks like every other part. The roofs are triple-layered -- with horizontal planking sandwiched between two layers of vertical planks, with the inside layers terminating at the beam that finishes the top of the wall. In the case of rectangular buildings, roofs are gabled, with just enough eave to keep a light rain off the door. These roofs are braced with logs affixed to the outside, at about the height top of the wall, which keep the planks level. In an ingenious move, the roofs are fastened by affixing logs across the gable sides of the building that jut out over the logs affixed to the roof itself. This prevents the roof from tearing off, in a storm, should the wind build under the eaves.  
  
Round buildings have conical roofs, also made of planks, supported by beams, beneath, that cross the vertical supports for the walls leading up to a central ring, and logs on the outside that lay the same path as the beams and are spiked straight through to them. The tip of the roof is cropped to allow the smoke from the central fire to escape, and though the logs do not meet at the top, they are attached to the same ring as the inner beams. A plank ring just below the top of the wall holds the planks of the roof together.  
  
The walls are surprisingly plain, to anyone familiar with the architecture of Orlais, Tevinter, the Anderfels, or even the Marches, with the outer walls remaining completely unadorned wood. Those familiar with rural Fereldan architecture, which is similar in form, may be surprised at the lack of even painted sigils on the outsides of the buildings. On rectangular buildings, the walls include support for the roof on the gables, in the form of beams angled out from the central support post to oppose the angle of the roof, offering stability to the edges. The walls of round buildings, though, are generally divided between eight posts, with alternate walls featuring crossed planks on the outside. These crosses cover centred lozenge windows, allowing light and air through only the corners of the lozenge. The support posts, themselves, split the rest of the windows -- rectangular --  in half.  
  
The windows are one of the few places in the structure of a building, rather than its furnishings, where the an Avvar building is less than wholly bleak. The crossed lozenge windows may look like a mistake in construction, from the outside, but from the inside, they look like lattice privacy windows, still allowing light, but making it far more difficult to see in from outside. Of course, the post-split windows make up for that illusion of privacy. In rectangular structures, the windows are a bit more traditional, with shutters and a decorative upper light. Still unglazed, like all Avvar windows seem to be, these windows offer wide openings for light and air. The bottom two-thirds of the windows can be closed with shutters marked with embrasures that still permit light to pass in and arrows to pass out, but substantially add to the privacy inside the building. Above the shutters is a transom light, divided in the centre by two half-moon shapes curved toward opposite edges of the window frame.   
  
This two-moons design is repeated in the eye-hole of the door, a shuttered affair at the height of a man, set in a strong, wooden door -- the crosspieces being one of the few places we see metal bolts used in Avvar construction. Door frames are a simple design, with the lintel extending past the jambs and into the wall, disrupting the vertical lines of the plank walls and drawing more attention to the door, the crosspieces of which serve as further horizontal highlight. The door sills are stone, cut to sit just a touch higher than the floor inside or the porch, outside.   
  
The porch stretches along the length of the building, but is not affixed to it, nor, necessarily, to the ground on the other side. Boards are sunk into the earth directly before the house, widest side facing up and pointing lengthwise away from the house to provide a space for walking or working outside. Though the boards are somewhat loosely fixed, they do provide a more stable surface than the ground beneath, and certainly a less-muddy one. Some rectangular buildings also feature a flat section cut into the roof and reached via a ladder at the side of the building. These are often used to keep drying racks for meat, hides, and laundry out of the way of other work. Some larger buildings, particularly community buildings, feature lofts, inside, providing extra dry storage space between the occupied space below and the roof above. These are constructed, unsurprisingly, of wood, supported from beneath by the walls and an extra post and lintel row stretching through the room at the outer edge of the loft.  
  
Unlike essentially all other parts of Avvar buildings, the floors are not wood. They are most often flagstone, cobble, or packed earth, which is unsurprising, in that most Avvar homes do not have what we might think of as a fireplace, but rather a firepit either in the centre of the home, in the case of round buildings, or near a window, in rectangular ones. The floors are often dressed with animal skins, and these fur rugs make stone floors in particular more bearable in cooler weather.  
  
But, rugs are not the only decoration in Avvar settlements -- most often stone statues stand over the roads. Some of the statues, like Korth, come directly from Avvar legend, but others -- particularly a very common one depicting a bearded man screaming at the sky -- seem to have their origin in Tevinter stories. When compared to Tevinter depictions of the breach of the Golden City and the punishment of the Seven, these statues clearly depict one of the figures commonly shown crying out to the sky as he falls, burning, to the ground. Interestingly, few objects that are strictly decorative in nature are made of wood, aside from the occasional whittled figure. Stone seems to serve a more decorative purpose, standing as a reminder even after a village has rotted away, but most practical objects are wood or metal, with metal used mostly in cookware and weaponry. Even Avvar toilets are wood and metal, if one can properly call a bucket a toilet...

\-- From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### References:
> 
>   * [Screenshots of Stone Bear Hold](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO3Nhpwgo8wXCgOS31rGEPanbfjR8rpJeqHWG_8zJ4wB-xmdxzSdrGqkNOBfMK_CQ/photo/AF1QipPPtQ0IIdVbDQuRVR9l9A2SCCw2UnyYEVYpHL9q?key=emlDeURvWkxjXzdqbEZuTlBHMmZsVm5TU0FKeDBB)
> 



	44. A Brief Overview of Ander Architecture and Design Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

The blighted lands of the Anderfels offer little in the way of wood, and digging down to the stone below the blowing sands is rarely considered a worthy effort, given that sturdy and beautiful buildings can be made of the red earth much closer to the surface. Coming into a city like Hossberg or Kassel -- Tallo, on the sea, has a bit more Southern flair -- one is struck by the way the buildings seem to rise up seamlessly from the ground beneath, only to blossom into painted tiles of the Disciples and bejewelled patterns on gold and silver insets. Dragonbone said to be from Dumat, himself, rises up in statues of Andraste leading up to the Cathedral in Hossberg. Patterned tiles painted with verses of the Chant line the major streets. For a city made of mud, it is anything but inelegant.  
  
The floors of Ander buildings are most often made of packed earth, sometimes set with a resin, to keep them waterproof. In more important buildings -- Chantries, government structures, and the like -- the floors are frequently tiled. However common scenes from the Chant may be, in Ander works, they are never used on floors, lest someone set foot on one of the Disciples. Instead, complicated geometric patterns prevail, in flooring, occasionally with inspirational lines of the Chant around the edges of the room or the intended walking aisle. Following the words of Andraste to one's destination is a popular means of giving directions, in complicated structures.  
  
At the edges of rooms, the floors ease up into the walls, as the edges of the outer plaster are generally blended into the surface of the floor, to prevent seams that might allow water to undermine the wall. But, the walls extend another two to three rows of mud-brick below the level of the floor, for the same reason, and the bricks are not small, being nearly the size of the stones used in ancient Alamarri fortresses -- the length of a man's forearm and the height of his foot -- rather than what we have come to think of as 'bricks'. But, in a well-made building, one will never see an Ander brick, as they are buried under inches of plaster made of nearly the same material, but smoothed and treated to be resistant to water.  
  
Along the bottoms of walls -- below hip height -- it is not uncommon to see designs painted directly into the plaster in the manner of a fresco. These are rarely figurative, but may resemble water, flame, or vines, studded with polished stones and glass. Higher up, particularly on outside walls, the tilework begins. Anything from masterful mosaics of scenes from the Chant to evenly-spaced square tiles painted in the images of Andraste and her Disciples can appear at the midpoint of a wall, but it is almost inevitably heavily Andrastian imagery, at least on the outsides of buildings. Inside or out, the tops of walls are often rendered like the bottoms, although at the outside, more complicated metalwork and jutting cast figures may appear. Figures of Maferath and Hector are particularly popular to direct runoff from the seasonal rains away from the walls -- Maferath weeps with regret and Hector bleeds from the holes beneath a score of jutting arrows. Where figures are not used, metal or stone-lined notches are cut into the top of the wall to let the water run off the roof.  
  
Amid the clamour of tilework on the walls, most Ander buildings also feature windows, though the majority are unglazed, featuring shutters of river reeds or woven crop stalks, mounted in metal and coated in the same plaster used for the walls. Most often, these windows are rectangular, being the easiest shape to support in a building with as little wood as possible. The frames of windows and doors are one of the few places wood is sometimes used, although cast metal is often cheaper. A lintel is laid above the opening and the bricking continues above, with the lintel providing the structural support for the rest of the wall above. A cheap metal is sometimes not strong enough, and in some older homes with pot-metal lintels, the tops of the windows bow under the weight of the brick, cracking the walls at the sides of the window, and there are shims between the walls and the roof.  
  
In public buildings and more expensive homes, some windows may be glazed, and camework glass is far more common than anywhere but Val Royeaux. Buildings using glazed windows often have windcatcher towers, to alleviate the heat permitted in through the glass and then trapped by it. Windcatchers, of course, can draw a great deal of dust into a building, particularly in a dust storm, if the wind hits in something other than the generally prevailing direction.  
  
Still, even in the harshest dust storms, the window shutters rarely take the bulk of the battering, as most homes, if not public buildings, are constructed with wide courtyards, shielded with high walls. It is not unusual for shade to be easily available at any hour of the day, around an Ander home, which makes some outdoor chores, like washing and cooking, much simpler.  
  
From the wall of the courtyard, one does not simply enter and wander freely, before the house. Instead, arches and tunnels are common, with one end leading to the house and the other toward the road, with a width enough to fit a horse cart or a loaded camel. These offer protection from the storms to merchants and travellers, without causing them to disrupt the occupants of a home. In the cities, these shelters are far less common, as the construction of the cities is meant to provide more public shelter, including stables by the gates and public plazas with high, decorative walls.  
  
Still, with or without a shelter at the gate, one must eventually arrive at the door. Hollow cast metal and dwarven-carved stone are popular for public buildings, but among rural homes, framed leather doors are most common, with light cast bronze doors a close second (usually two thin panels of cast bronze riveted around the edges). But, very, very few are solid wood, and where wood is used, it is almost inevitably imported from Tevinter or Rivain, as few of the trees, mostly fruit trees, that can survive the climate of the blighted lands can be sacrificed for construction. Often, regardless of the material, the door will feature the Andrastian sunburst, prominently, sometimes with the Maker's Eye, which is considered an essential protection against evil entering the building.  
  
In some older buildings -- those built soon after the Blight -- the roofs are supported with massive beams of olive wood, cut from the last dying trees as the Blight spread through the land itself, wiping out centuries of cultivation that once rivalled the greener parts of Tevinter. Newer buildings use close-bound reeds or metal to support a layer of reed mats that support more bricks or poured mud. The roofs are nearly flat, with a slight slope to one edge for the water to run off. It is not, after all, that it doesn't rain in the Anderfels, but that even the water can not give back what the Blight took. As noted above, the tops of the roofs often sit a bit below what one would consider the tops of the walls, with notches and occasionally statues to direct the runoff. Most often, these are Andrastian figures of some sort.  
  
Nearly inevitably, Ander décor has a heavy Andrastian theme. Statues of the Disciples are everywhere and verses of the Chant are worked into nearly everything, with a subtlety not seen in Val Royeaux. In Hossberg, one can buy plates with ornate floral designs, in which the flowers are composed of the word of the Chant, in tiny brushstrokes. There is a sense of always being under the Maker's gaze, in the Lattenfluss River valley, and that is carried even into the most private areas of the home, with even chamberpots and cesspits ringed with the word of Andraste.

\-- From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, there is pretty much nothing that covers Ander architecture, canonically, other than that Weisshaupt is probably a castle made of stone. We drew on architectural themes of the American southwest, North Africa, and the Middle East, to write this codex, with mind to the fact that the architecture of the Anderfels probably changed in the wake of the First Blight.


	45. A Brief Overview Orlesian Architecture and Design Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

Of all the architectural styles of Thedas, Orlesian is the most recognisable -- the bold blue and gold accents, the pointed arches, the inevitable quatrefoils. And the consistency of the style carries from the market of Val Royeaux to the Winter Palace at Halamshiral, even to the villas and châteaux scattered across the Exalted Plains. Smaller villages reflect the styles of the empire, but with far less grandeur and expense, frequently forgoing the gold accents, and occasionally preferring a warmer colour scheme than the icy blues of the cities. Still, the preference for quatrefoil accents remains firm at all levels of society.  
  
The pinnacles of Orlesian design are frequently literal spires stretching toward the sky, widening down onto the steep blue tiled roofs or plastered, rounded turrets. The tallest spires are golden, often coated with actual metal, rather than mere paint, to catch the sunlight and reflect it like a blossom of light opening against the sky. They come down from a slender spike to a sphere followed by another, and then bloom outward into three stacked bells, like a dancer's skirt. These are found atop round turrets, usually white plaster with a blue plaster border that rises in a smooth, round shell to shield half the unglazed pointed-arch windows. Below, the towers continue down, one gold-rimmed section after another to the ground or the building they are joined to.  
  
Smaller spires of white marble descend as pyramidal spikes widening onto the tops of egg-shapes seated on round pedestals. These pedestals sit atop tall, rectangular blocks of marble atop short, rectangular blocks of marble, right at the edge of the top of a roof, where they descend as white marble lines to shorter block and pedestal affairs at the bottom edge of the roof, these bearing spire-less eggs.  
  
The roofs, themselves, are almost inevitably the same blue tile -- whether royal or midnight, everywhere, except in some smaller, rural villages, where red tile is more prevalent. On fashionable structures, the roofs are frequently a mansard style -- steep on all four sides, with a flat top. Occasionally, these roofs feature dormer windows, which aid in ventilation and the expulsion of birds. In more rustic surroundings, the roofs are red and gabled, rather than hipped, featuring the occasional window at the gable end. Some buildings feature a shallower saltbox-style extension in the front, which forms an angle where the eave on that side would have ended.  
  
Moving down, one finds walls that may once have been white -- marble pilasters and accents sit against smooth stucco walls, in major cities and noble structures, with the marble inevitably brighter than the weather-darkened stucco. Both windows and doors feature a pointed arch shape, here, with a marble casing marked with rectangular notches. Where the roof is high enough to support the skirted, arrow-pointed finials on the tops of these arches, those are often flanked by white moulding with a gold vine motif, cut wide around the finial. Rural homes also feature white or cream plaster walls, these with the corner beams exposed between the hip-height stone base of the walls and the roof.  
  
In structures featuring second storeys, rarely found in smaller villages, but often in cities and villas, the upper levels often feature balconies, traced with wide marble balustrades supported by heavy, square posts and marble traditional or golden vasiform balusters, with the latter more common in rural villas than cities. Balconies are often floored in marble tiles, square borders surrounding lantern-tiled insets. Where the balconies are covered, rather than open, they are shielded by a high vault that gives way to a tray ceiling, featuring a central golden rosette with vegetative accents, supported by squared quatrefoil columns. Golden seafoam-styled swirls sometimes sprout from the sides of the top third of the columns, rising up to attach to the underside of the roof.  
  
Moving down from the balconies, one often finds arcades -- pointed marble arches set into blue stucco walls, with quatrefoil insets between the points. These shade the doors and windows of the first storey, in the same way the covered balconies do above, and they provide a consistent front to the many entrances found along a row of shops, as in the market of Val Royeaux.  
  
The roads leading out from that market bear magnificent trompe-l'œil, depicting gardens beyond window balconies, painted on the sides of the buildings facing the road, as these are the buildings that open onto the market and would otherwise feature bare wall. Sadly, in recent years, the effect is ruined by the addition of innumerable handbills that destroy the perspective of the images they are tacked to. Still, trompe-l'œil remains a feature, where Orlais sports a wall with neither doors nor windows.  
  
Doors and windows, as noted, are in arched casings, in most places. In more fashionable locales, the doors, themselves, are round-topped, within a matching blue archivolt that makes the difference between the casing and the top of the door. The archivolt is stepped in to reach the main decoration, an inset circle with a quatrefoil inside, filled with four golden flowers around a central golden circle, directly over the centre of the door, below. The doors are no simpler, featuring a pattern of inset quatrefoils, with bronze studs at junctions a third of the way from the top and bottom of the design. The bottom quarter of the door is a plain panel and then the bottom rail. Door handles are often bronze and set unusually low, perhaps to the height of a dwarf. The doors are, unlike the windows, often identical inside and out.  
  
The doors in smaller villages are also wooden, but unpainted, the frames echoing the pointed arch of the cities or, in cases where a spear-topped frame would be found, an ogee arch is used. Within the arch, the top is a plain wood panel, followed by a plain wooden strip, and then a plank with quatrefoil bosses engraved around with a bowed border terminating with a single petal at each corner. Beneath this is one more section before the door, featuring two identically engraved panels, side by side. The panels are first inset, featuring a slim clip-cornered border maybe a thumb's breadth from the outer edge, and each clipped corner features a round stud inside it. The bordered section is traversed by a raised bar about a third the full height of the panel, with a domed medallion sunk into the centre, featuring a central rosette surrounded by studs.  
  
Below this, the rectangular door begins, a masterpiece of woodwork, carved in an impression of a window. The first division of the door splits off the top and bottom panels and about a quarter of the sides. Three strap hinges attach to one side quarter, and a ring pull sits at hand-height on the other. The centre of the door is inset, first, and split into four vertical panels and two horizontal. About halfway down the first horizontal section, the false window begins with an arched top and continues down to a slightly jutting sill. Each panel is carved with a raised outline of a double crescent, back to back, reminiscent of the very rare astronomical meeting of the moons, with a diamond shape in the centre, overlapping, and a ring within it. From each of the diamond's sides, within the crescent shape, lozenge outlines extend. These doors are, in their way, far more complicated than the doors favoured by the nobility, but even the fine detail has not raised the price beyond what is affordable in the villages.  
  
In fashionable locations, windows open outward, when they open at all, the two eight-paned sides sporting gold-painted muntins and frames. Above the rectangular opening, the rest of the window continues up to fill the arch, with six panes shaped along the inside of the arch and two more rising up in the centre. The upper window carries an extension of the wide centre rail of the casement, giving the false impression that the upper section may open as well.  
  
Inside, windows may be identical to their outer appearance, but in rooms with partial or full vault ceilings, they are often deeply inset at the top, following the line of the outside wall, rather than the inside wall. Regardless of the shape of the inner wall, these windows are usually dressed with heavy blue curtains bearing gold floral designs. The curtains are topped with a valance in the same fabric, with a wide band of gold tassel along the bottom. At the centre top sits a single circular medallion, in gold, marked with a stylised flower.Two white ropes extend from the medallion, hanging loosely to the edges of the window frame and a single tassel of the same rope, decorated with  gold wrap, hangs from the centre.  
  
For windows in smaller villages, the pointed arch shape persists, though they are unglazed, with wooden shutters in place of the noble casements. The shutters are quite heavy and made to look like doors, with a top and bottom panel, another at the centre of the wide lock rail, and little brass handles. Inside the arch above the shutters, these windows are often decorated with a row of diamond-shaped bosses with a narrow strip above and then a plain cap for the arch, still inside the deep frame. Due to the nature of the surrounding structure, these windows appear the same inside and out, except that the shutters open out and the outside features a deeper windowsill.  
  
Like the windows and doors, many other styles continue into an Orlesian building, with walls frequently done in white or cream plaster and marble accents. In noble houses and cities, walls often feature marble pilasters, upon bowed plinths, with capitals and bases in a clustered lotus pattern, separated with thin gold rings. The moulding above the pilasters is the same that chases the rest of the wall, but set out to accommodate the extra depth, and decorated in a sprig of golden leaves. Behind the pilasters, there is a plain step, wider than the pilasters and set out from the wall, featuring a similar plinth and entablature. At the corners of walls, the pilasters are more often outset again in this plainer style, than in the lotus style.  
Rising up from the lotus pilasters are the ribs that appear to support the ceiling, curving upward until they are cut away to reveal the tray, often decorated with golden rosettes around the vertical side and one or more large rosettes, sometimes supporting chandeliers, along the centre. In some rooms, where light is important, the tray section of the ceiling will be replaced with a skylight, allowing the sunlight to fill the room, even when it is directly overhead. Libraries often have a skylight and windows between each row of books, to improve reading ease.  
  
Fewer rooms than one might expect are equipped with fireplaces, often strangely simple compared to the rest of the structure. The outer mantel stands out from the wall, carrying the marble baseboard with it, and above it, to either side of the inner mantel, gold-rimmed rectangular insets. Above the inner mantel sits another such inset, the width of the firebox plus a bit which may contain a painting, and at the top, at nearly twice the height of a man, sits the upper shelf, which may be set with vases or paintings. The inner mantel juts from the outer mantel, with its gold-trimmed shelf at nearly the height of a man. The legs are decorated with round, lotus-capped columns, with simple rectangular blocks, top and bottom, bearing the same gold-rimmed insets as the outer mantle. Just above the firebox sits another inset, of the same width. The hearth is raised and juts maybe a cubit from the inner mantle before ending in a golden border. In some rooms, the floor before the fireplace is a flagstone inset that provides enough room for a ring of sofas, several chairs, or a small table. In other rooms, the hearth ends at the same floor as the rest of the room.  
  
Simpler fireplaces are found in the kitchens and servants' quarters, with the legs done in the style of the wall-corner pilasters. These feature an arched firebox with flagstone between it and the marble mantel shelf. Kitchens, like the servants' quarters, are often composed of bare stone and wood, a far more Fereldan looking décor than one finds elsewhere in the empire, right down to the flagstone and wood floors, so different to the tile preferred even in rural homes.  
  
Orlesian floors are often marble-tiled and frequently decorated with rugs, which cut down on the number of people slipping on the high-gloss floors. The most common pattern in fashionable homes is a blue and white parquet. In hallways and entrances, one finds wide white, blue-edged borders that do not sit flush with the walls. Rather the border floats at the distance of slightly more than half a parquet square. Occasionally, often on balconies, one finds lantern tile in blue-grey. The Winter Palace is famed for its tumbling block pattern on the front terraces, trimmed with two rows of staggered square block.  
  
In gardens, cobblestone is common, and the stone may continue through the service entrances into the irregular flagstone tiling of servants' quarters and other areas not intended for use by guests. In some of these areas, the floor may be partially raised above the stone in wooden planks, which hold less chill in winter. Staggered square or rectangular block is common along roads and public squares.  
  
In other parts of the empire, marble tile in black and white is more common, with double-bordered checked areas predominating. The inner border is often the same pattern, in tiles a third the size of the main tiles, and the outer border is white marble tiles twice the size. In larger rooms, the central checked field often has four quatrefoils at the centre. Each is composed of four square tiles, each with halves of two leaves, black on white and white on black, and the inner corner of the tile in the background colour, to form a diamond-shape in the centre when all four are joined. Each quatrefoil occupies the same space as a three by three square of the main tiles.  
  
To speak of Orlesian decor, one must address the rugs. Rugs are very common, often shaped to accent their location -- round at the junctures of hallways, round-ended runners along the length of halls, multiple rounded rectangles in larger rooms. Blue is the most common dominant colour, though one occasionally sees red, and the other is used as an accent on each. Gold and white are used to establish patterns and trim on these rugs. A popular end-rounded red rug features a golden dart border, framed by golden lines, with acanthus leaves in gold, at the corners. The same gold-on-red border also appears on two common blue rugs, both featuring a loose grey floral pattern. One is a long style, commonly used for hallway runners, featuring a medallion every few feet, with a pale gold curled cloud design and sharp red highlights, surrounded by a ring of shapes shaded to look like pale gold tetragonal crystals, then a continuation of the main pattern, a stripe of red, a stripe of plain blue, then a stripe of cream or very pale gold. The other is the medallion as its own rug, bearing the dart border instead of the triple stripe. Where rugs appear on stairs, a dark and medium blue scallop pattern predominates, bordered with a gold line, gold dots on a vermicular pattern in the same blues as the rug body, and a red-trimmed gold and white scallop, at the outside edge.  
  
The inevitable gold continues onto the spectacularly ornate frames, usually cast in scallop and floral designs, that hold paintings of ancestors, past emperors, and the occasional landscape. But, the gold gives way to marble, when we come to statuary. The nobility prefers statuary in white marble, often in the form of Andraste and her disciples, though one occasionally sees a famed warrior of the past. Among the lower classes, painted wooden statues of Andraste and Maferath predominate.  
  
But, it is gold and religion that informs the design of the most private of rooms, with noble commodes often featuring the same ornate designs as the pillars and picture-frames elsewhere in the building. [...]

\-- From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This codex draws from screenshots of:
> 
>   * [Chateau d'Onterre](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOKIsj6-kppiCKeD8tq0Ce1uA2k5x8X3-PheRpWp5vwL2DIQc0tgRmFAGolyifeow/photo/AF1QipMe0_QvLFpq8EUinOERY9Sku97aN2J8mfJwTlUG?key=VkNRQjVwQVdIUW5ObVIyUEVKaUYzVHdaay1Vb1hB)
>   * [Sahrnia](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNOZbvAPkXJAmD2DeNA31tS_jy-am-jf3eUiyUAqmQjBZvbObHBUcec0m43su4o0w/photo/AF1QipPRZq9aDz8PuD-rnX-WmMZm5Kaab-_q6yhakWhy?key=WVhTMXdsZ0pvUFBPUDZ0ODZPS1pReHI1cnZSOVl3)
>   * [Val Royeaux](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNE2W2Xny18zxjYStIwKgQKh7d6TFmcRpwVX5s4ckWINT363S2dqqunCXGcHe_Zdg?key=OUtmWEd5MlN3amtXSFVnaUJUVHFJZER6U1hTNVV3)
>   * [Villa Maurel](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOKIsj6-kppiCKeD8tq0Ce1uA2k5x8X3-PheRpWp5vwL2DIQc0tgRmFAGolyifeow/photo/AF1QipO-25XZ1ynxTiUd8JqBMIYnZSSiow14T3cyb0oa?key=VkNRQjVwQVdIUW5ObVIyUEVKaUYzVHdaay1Vb1hB)
>   * [The Winter Palace](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMFLDpV9WcFpvhV-msNmU85xe47XwY8w-NTaLLUrg7kD__x5SqSH0it5caQIelvTg?key=MU00UnBWMGRFcmY2NlpuUWYzSEw1dWRKMDJHODhR)
> 

> 
> Links go to the first screenshot in the sequence, when they're not an independent album. Clicking the upper left arrow should take you back to the correct spot in the album, if you've got a single image, or the left and right arrows will let you cycle through pictures individually.


	46. A Brief Overview of Rural Fereldan Architecture and Design

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

For those familiar with the Avvar holds of the Frostback Mountains, the styles of rural Ferelden will come as little surprise. The barbarians to the east show great consistency in their structural habits, and those traditions have likely lasted centuries. Wooden homes are the standard, outside the few cities, all of frame and plank construction. Noble estates and chantries, however, are often stone.  That said, castles, fortresses, and stone structures will not enter into this analysis. Chantries are built in a style designed by Orlesians, and due to the methods of recordkeeping in Ferelden, it is nearly impossible to tell whether most other stonework, was built by Fereldans, by dwarves, or by Tevinter. Any original decorative elements have long since been chiselled away, whole wings and walls added later, siege damage restored in other than the original style -- these buildings lack the historical integrity or consistent origin one requires for generalisations to be made, and thus, I restrict my commentary to the wooden structures so common across the Fereldan lowlands.  
  
There are, as with the Avvar, two shapes of building common to Fereldan villages -- round and rectangular. Both bear roofs primarily after the Avvar style. On rectangular buildings, we find tall, gabled, wooden roofs extending down so the lower braces are just above the tops of the doors and windows. Those braces are long logs the thickness of a man's thigh that extend across just above the bottom of the roof on both sides and are held down by matching braces, strongly fixed to the wall's top, that cross them on the gable side, just below the start of the gable, proper. These braces affix the roof, weighting it over the top support, another log of a somewhat longer length that runs the length of the top of the house, jutting out past both gables. Two more supports, thinner, run from the joint of the lower braces to cross above the upper log, and these are attached to the upper log with tight-fitting pegs. The top of these roofs bear carved angle brackets, nailed to both sides, to strengthen the joint and hold out the rain.  
  
Some rectangular buildings feature crossed gables, putting gable ends on more than the anticipated two sides, whether or not the floor plan of the building includes extensions in those directions. But, regardless of the direction of the gable, they all have stepped ends, extending out past the wall, furthest at the top, with the steps bringing them in to meet the bottom edge of the roof. On some important buildings, the points of the gables may be topped with statues of dogs.  
  
On the somewhat rarer round buildings -- a design more popular in the mountains than the Lowlands -- we find conical plank roofs, pinned between support beams, beneath, and slender logs, above. The support structures are attached to the vertical beams of the walls, below, and rise up to the open ring at the top of the roof, which serves as a vent for smoke from the fire. Along the lower rim of the roof, a ring of curved logs, notched for the support logs, holds the planks together and weights the roof against the wind.  
  
In many Fereldan villages, the roofs are topped with sod, over a layer of birch bark, and the lower roof braces prevent the sod sliding off. The dirt and grass provide an extra layer of insulation to the roof, and the weight of it, I'm told, also helps keep the roofs attached during heavy storms. I expect if the walls were constructed of dry stone or stacked logs, it might also compress the draught spaces between parts of the wall.  
  
As it stands, though, walls are made of timber-framed vertical planks, often featuring painted decorations on the outside. At the tops of the walls, in both round and rectangular structures, the posts feature braces to support the roof beams, which prevent the walls from sagging or bowing under the weight. The gable ends of rectangular buildings most often show the support structures for the roof -- the trusses spread in a crow-foot design to brace both up and out. Frequently, the king post on one gable end will be replaced with the stone chimney from the fireplace, inside, the stone back of which will also jut outward from the wall by a few inches.  
  
Where Avvar walls are often undecorated, in the lowlands, painted decorations are extremely common. Stylised depictions of animals and legendary heroes are found on some homes, while shops and public buildings more often feature illustrations of their purpose -- an armourer, for instance, might have a shield or an armoured man painted on the outer wall.  
  
While windows are relatively common in the villages of northern Ferelden, the further south one goes, the less common they are, with nearly every home in Crestwood featuring at least one, but none of the homes in Redcliffe[1]. While one might expect the change in Redcliffe to have taken place following the Blight, there is no sign of windows having been boarded over, only of walls that contained none to start. I suspect this may be a decision made with insulation in higher precedence than light, which is provided by fires and candles. Where windows exist, they are in the Avvar styles. Rectangular windows with opposed double-crescents in the top third, in rectangular buildings, and diamond windows crossed by the outer supports of round buildings.  
  
Doors, also, are often in the Avvar style. Made of thick boards, braced with riveted straps of wood and metal, they often feature a small window at eye-level, with the same opposed crescent design as the upper panes of windows. Handles are most often iron rings. The door frames are made of massive square posts, so the weight of the door does not drag down the wall, and the doorsteps are often a single block of the same stone as the floor.  
  
The floors of Fereldan buildings are nearly always flagstone, a peculiar choice, when one gets down toward the Wilds, as it makes for a much colder floor than wood, though one far less inclined toward splinters or damage from the damp. Rugs are often used to keep the chill down, with woven rugs popular among merchants and animal skins more common with farmers and hunters.  
  
The interiors of rural Fereldan buildings are frequently a single room, particularly in the case of homes and gathering-spaces. This keeps them more easily heated by the smallest number of fires, as the walls do not block off the heat. Some places will have partial walls, always made of the same plain planks as the outer walls, that jut just far enough to hide a bed or chamberpot, without becoming a separate room, maintaining both privacy and efficient heating. Others prefer to hang curtains or rugs from ropes strung from the posts and rafters of the house.   
  
Similar ropes also hold wet washing or curing meats, by the fire, or in the case of butchers, the building may be strung with ropes of sausage. Inevitably, at least one corner of a home will be filled with the tools of someone's craft -- vats and stills, a loom, tables filled with drying herbs. Among the literate, bookcases are also not uncommon, though they are often fairly plain and made of wood.  
  
Wall-hangings are common, indoors, ranging from rugs and curtains to detailed, framed paintings of scenes from the Chant. Symbols of the tribes that joined together to become Ferelden are not uncommon, and they hang like noble coats of arms, often decorated with stylised dog heads.  
  
As one might expect from Ferelden, the most common decorative feature is dogs -- painted, engraved, or as statuary, the dogs are on everything, including, in many cases, the Chantries. Statues of Maferath and Andraste are also popular choices, with the depiction of Maferath favoured in Ferelden being one where he sits with his head in his hands and his sword over his lap, as opposed to the preferred Orlesian Maferath, who clutches his helmet in one hand and his head in the other. Even Andraste is not free of dogs, in Ferelden, and is occasionally depicted with a Mabari hound, as in a particularly popular, if scandalous, tavern song. So, it should not come as a surprise that Fereldan chamber-pots and privy walls are often decorated with depictions of dogs in guarding or defecating poses.

\-- From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Footnotes:**  
>  1\. Yeah, I know there are windows INSIDE the Gull and Lantern, but there are no windows on the OUTSIDE of the building. Also, the interior is meant for a totally different exterior than it wound up in, as nothing about that structure lines up correctly, and the interior is stone. For the purposes of this codex, I am ignoring the Gull and Lantern, because I'm pretty sure it's in the Fade and the door is an eluvian, because it's either that or it's a fucking TARDIS.
> 
>  
> 
> **Sources:**
> 
>   * [Crestwood](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO3T42VXD4ylZyhVeaPh6FNYMhlI5FlvW1ox95LFVskSfWsUX-cmZvdkcdt3nNHBQ?key=bkhIS0dqOHhxUUFwU3Bvdm53MnRCc09BT29sT0x3)
>   * [Redcliffe](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN_r2Mob2gfvxSyglGDlFPkUJBu6sRQKKw39cRcy93bVITSkaP5lapsz_Epx65UKw?key=ZXhocjh6dVpWajV2aXp5M19kVnJfb096cnFuRlFB)
>   * [Hinterlands](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPD6QLp6YaKBdcPJ3GKXBjHBNb0pr6DezfK189E8gL93ikimKqwoAomH2CTLfnLEw?key=UmthSjhGeU1MQ21xRUJLS3R4UUVxeFlfb3ByYl9R)
>   * [Haven](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM86bQpR2DagewiMvW_o0bCC3-ojbb4mG0di7KPWfXXTZYgwkHFxVTEyc5YCXEB_A?key=QkRiZDNSSlpTNi1VVUtTWVFZZXZpTHFJenFyWjdn)
>   * [Illustrated shouting about the Gull & Lantern](https://penbrydd.tumblr.com/post/165004513428/two-screenshots-to-illustrate-my-point-about-the)
> 



	47. A Brief Overview of Elven Architecture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne.

To speak of the architecture of the Dales, and that of the rumoured ancient empire of the elves, one must speak of arches, for the arch and vault are central to elven architecture, in a way that they are to no other style in Thedas. It has been suggested that much human architecture takes its cues from elven ruins, from the round archwork of Ferelden's forts and castles to the windowed spires of Orlais.  From the horseshoe arches of their rune-sealed doors to the round arches of their subterranean burial vaults -- a tradition hailing back to a time when the Veil was undamaged, and demons were not in the habit of seizing the dead -- to the slender lancet windows high on the walls of their fortresses and keeps, elven arches are true arches, the stones evenly bearing weight, rather than false arches made of post and lintel, corbels, sections of the wall left unbuilt, or passages carved out of solid stone. No other culture has regularly used such a variety of arches in their structures, to the point that the nationality of a building's architects can often be determined by the sole style of arch used in it.  
  
With that in mind, it is most beneficial to speak of elven architecture by its arches first, and then its other features. In establishing how the arches are used, we may gain more insight into the elven style. Five types of arches appear in elven ruins: pointed, round, lancet, cinquefoil, and horseshoe.   
  
Pointed arches are the most common, holding doors, framing windows, and framing passages aboveground. Most vaults, including the enormous rib-vaulted ceilings of some temples, are held up with pointed arches, though a small number of subterranean barrel vaults use round arches.  
  
Round arches and vaults appear most often underground, in catacombs and niches. Barrel vault ceilings in subterranean places, like catacombs, sewers, and trading posts off the Deep Roads, are most frequently supported with round arches, which are more often surrounded by rough stonework than the smooth stone seen elsewhere in elven ruins.   
  
Lancet arches are like pointed arches, but half the width, and are almost always seen as windows, with or without metal tracery. The slender lancet windows are seen in ancient elven structures across the Dales, sometimes in ways that seem far more decorative than practical.  
  
Cinquefoil arches appear as doorways, quite often, with the sides filled with a contrasting stone pattern that, at a distance, can convince the eye they are pointed arches. As passages, the sides remain open, allowing one a clear view of the carved interior surface, which can feature swirls or rosettes, and nearly always features a shallow central channel between the front and back of the arch.  
  
Horseshoe arches are the most unusual arch in the elven collection, so called due to its resemblance to the object in question -- a near-circle, like the shoe of a plough horse, set atop its posts. These are used exclusively to hold the rare, magical 'shard doors', which can only be opened with a collection of tiny gems. Where a horseshoe arch is seen unobstructed, one of these doors can be assumed to have been removed.  
  
Of course, few arches stand without walls. Most walls in elven ruins are surfaced with smooth-cut stone plates, laid in an even running bond. Other walls, particularly toward the older or lower centres of some buildings, feature surfaces done in herringbone, with long, slender tiles. Both of these are often a light-coloured stone, the same one used in the floors, and the precision of the angles in both the walls and floors suggest that this style dates to the same period as the floors. When broken or chipped, these walls reveal a core of much larger blocks -- blocks the height of a man -- that are just as finished. One must wonder if, as in Tevinter, these blocks were not laid by magic.  
  
The herringbone walls, in vaulted halls, are framed by the arches that support the ceiling, to either side and feature a border of interlaced archwork along the bottom, to about knee-height. The tops of the wide pointed arches are shaped into the stone to produce a diamond pattern where they cross, and the lower section is cut through to the herringbone tile, resulting in a row of blind lancets. Blind arches and arches decorated with several orders of moulding, including rosettes, dentils, and swirls, are common decorations in other walls, as well. A common style in the Dales begins with a wall filled with wide pointed arches some open and some niches or blind. Above that will be a level of lancet arches, about half the width and twice the height. Upward from those, the points are echoed in carved, painted curves in the brickwork, pointing to the third and usually highest level which features two small lancets tucked into a moulded blind pointed arch.  
  
While arches and vaults are framed in precisely-cut blocks, the ceilings between the arches of the vaults are often filled with mortar and coarse, small stones, for a curious contrast in style. Were it less common, one might think the covering tiles had been stripped or rotted away, but a smooth-ceilinged vault is far more the exception, as the one in the recently-uncovered temple in the Arbor Wilds. Green tile in a pinwheel pattern covers the vaulted ceilings and the arches of the vaults, notably, are nearly seamless, carved of close-fitting enormous blocks of stone. The traditional square-edged, diagonal knotwork wall trim is also gilded, in this temple, something seen in no other elven structure, and one must question whether that is a result of the excellent preservation of this particular outpost, or if it received some greater decorative efforts from the time of construction. Certainly, the temple in northern Orlais, near the Nevarran border, lacks many of these highlights, though again, it is impossible to determine how much of that is a result of the ravages of time and looting.  
  
Coarse stone and mortar fill is also seen in some walls, particularly filling blind arches or supporting catacombs. Elven catacombs are of particular interest, aside from being made exclusively of thickly mortared rocks with rows of round-arched, flat-backed niches, as they appear to have gone through multiple stages of use -- designed to hold bodies, but in later periods shifting to hold funeral urns and then memorial objects. This suggests the use shifted as demonic possession of corpses became more common, possibly after the First Blight. As we know from later experience, rending the Veil as the Magisters are said to have done brings with it a massive influx of demons looking for hosts. It is likely the catacombs were intended to hold the dead in a time when possession was far less likely. The design of funerary urns suggests they were a first defence against this development -- containing the body, to prevent it rising -- before pyres became the standard across Thedas.  
  
From the outside, the walls continue in ways not reflected on the interior. Stepping out onto the roof of one of these ancient structures, or even looking out a window, often reveals a multitude of octagonal towers, each side decorated with blind lancet arches bearing the same fletched tracery seen in windows. The false windows align with the windows at the level of the building, until the first level above the roof, which is composed of no walls, but only these false windows, their points rising up before the base of the next level, smaller, but composed the same. The next level is composed of stone blocks angled to rise to a joined point from the tops of the arches. The blocks are squared, leaving notches at the sides, but the notches do not penetrate. At the very top, these towers terminate in a flattened globe shape. In rare instances, towers from opposite walls may support enormous pointed arches, between them, suggesting the broad walkways beneath.  
  
Actual windows are nearly always lancet arches or in, rare cases, pointed arches, and in many ruins, they are damaged substantially, but where the elements have been kinder -- perhaps where they were inhabited during and after the elven occupation of the Dales -- many windows feature glassless metalwork. Again, one wonders if they were designed so, or if the glass fell victim to the ravages of time, but no shards appear, so it is difficult to say for certain.  
  
The tracery in these windows is elegant, often echoing or exaggerating the graceful sweep of the lancets. Occasionally the sweeping lines are broken by a geometric flower shape or with a herringbone pattern that echoes the fletching of an arrow.  
  
Similar examples of glassless tracery can be found at the peak of some pointed interior archways and doorways. Again elegant, sweeping linework is favoured with graceful curves that echo the arched shape. Disk shapes can occasionally be found at the point, echoing the geometric flower shape found at other sites. The lines intersect and interweave in symmetrical patterns around these disks.  
  
There are also examples of gates and portcullises favouring this decorative linework, featuring fine, web-like intersections of tracery. On portcullises, the tracery is added on top of the traditional grid pattern, featuring an exaggerated wave-like design repeating in rows, putting one in mind of tiers of arcades, an echo of the building's architecture as a whole.  
  
In some instances, however, the tracery is still graceful but not so fine, particularly on the framework for doors, where the lines are sturdier and sweeping, varying in size. The metalwork resembles stylised vines and leaves, more than anything. The doors themselves are, for the most part, heavy wooden pairs, with metal decorations and hardware. They are nearly always pointed arches, when closed, though the frames can be partially-filled cinquefoil arches, with the doors in the centre. Angled wood seems to be most popular for the body of the door, leading to upward-angled chevrons, when the doors are closed, interrupted by the wooden stiles and ring-handles.  
  
A rarer style of door is referred to as the 'shard' door, the rarest of ancient and magical doors. These doors are the most magnificent things, sealed with innumerable tiny gems, all of which must be returned to it, before the door will unlock. The frames of these doors are made of alternating light and dark stone along the circular top, with the centrepiece being a double-width piece of white stone. From the round top, about three-quarters of a circle, a short, inset stem of plain stone extends on either side, leading to the plain stone angles that lead down to the slightly trapezoidal blocks at the base, each trimmed with a double notched border at the front, the first decoration since the alternating colours at the top.  
  
The door itself does not appear to be in two parts until it has opened, presenting a solid face in the same shape as the frame. The circular top is surrounded by a grey band divided into twenty-four even parts, in the centre of which is a metallic eight-pointed sun symbol. Below the sun, halfway out the rays, a slender arc of the same metal follows the curve of the inner circle, beginning at half past the second ray and ending at half past the seventh. This may be indicative of the hours of daylight or the passage of the moon on a particular day of the year. Down from the top ring extend two deep lines that follow the path of the frame to about halfway down the lower square, where they meet the locking mechanism -- a circle crossed at its outer edge by a bar from either side. The outer edge and bars are a dark stone with a gilded central stripe, reminiscent of the reflective strips found in dwarven architecture. The inner circle, a lighter stone, bears five incomprehensible runes each equidistant from the next. Below the lock, a ridged panel on each side suggests where the bars would align if retracted. Those extend down to the kickplates at the bottom of the door.  
  
The floors of these ancient buildings seem _almost_ inevitably to follow the same pattern, where the stone isn't too broken to judge. The stones are laid out in arcs that begin at one wall and all face the same way, almost as if the floor were scaled, though each 'scale' shape is made of many stones. Inevitably, these floor stones are smooth blocks, even when the walls are rough stone and mortar.  
  
A much rarer elven floor uses square tiles in a stacked bond. The tiles may be coloured and arranged in repeating geometric patterns, most often squares in alternating colours with a four-tile square and single tiles at the corners, in the alternate colour in the centre. In the case of particular sections of importance the tiles may be partially tinted specifically for the mosaic in question: usually the sun, with some sort of leafy accents and corner-pointing shapes in the style of the trefoil arches seen in many passages.  
  
Rugs are uncommon, most likely because in the majority of ruins, they rotted away long before they could be found, but in one particular temple -- the well-preserved one in southern Orlais -- a few identifiable designs remain. The recovered rugs are all a dark blue with patterns in white and gold. On one, a knotwork border surrounds what look like round-crowned trees. Another features twelve-pointed sunbursts. The last bears a single large image of what is possibly a dog or a wingless dragon, with a border of alternating gold and white rectangles.  
  
None of these designs are reproduced in the murals or mosaics found in any site. Mosaics, generally, seem to focus on individuals, probably gods, rendered in shades of green tile. Murals sometimes depict individuals, but also animals and events. In the murals, what we take to be elves are often rendered in white, with disproportionately long arms, legs, and necks. Older murals represent hunts on halla-back, dragons, warriors, and occasionally a strange scaled individual, shown only from behind. The Long Walk is represented often, and those are believed to be later murals, as is the one that appears to depict a figure in black armour with a white Sword of Mercy on it. Common wisdom has that last as a representation of the Exalted March on the Dales.  
  
Toilets, too, seem to date to the Dales, rather than the Imperial period, which suggests the Imperial toilets did not survive the fall of the empire, and thus may not have been constructed to remain long in a single location, as the alternative -- that Imperial elves did not use toilets -- is clearly ridiculous, and [...]

\-- From _The Role of Architectural Design in the Aesthetics of Waste Disposal_ , by Marco Belmayne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Sources:
> 
>   * Arbor Wilds: <https://photos.app.goo.gl/IkUkkB6zZ1dmcDXs2>
>   * Emerald Graves: <https://goo.gl/photos/oXSFAcFBerZqHBrU9>
>   * Emprise du Lion: <https://goo.gl/photos/Si5JVM59cZKrxS8y7>
>   * Exalted Plains: <https://goo.gl/photos/gyYFWxumMHSc5FfF9> 
>   * Forbidden Oasis: <https://goo.gl/photos/SdnRYNsUKjftNb278>
>   * Lost Temple of Dirthamen: <https://goo.gl/photos/J9tQaoERf4uzPxCJ6>
> 



	48. Creatures of Thedas: Varghest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A Modern Understanding of the Varghest_ , by Guillaume Tartelette, University of Orlais, 9:40 Dragon.

### Description

The varghest is one of the stranger draconids, lacking the wings of their larger cousins, and bearing large, overlapping scales that seem on their way to becoming feathers, particularly as they grow larger on the tail. Those scales are, as many an unfortunate tanner has discovered, serrated along the outside edges, and nothing short of razor sharp. It may be that the varghest is related to the phoenix, which thrives in a similar range, though actually feathered, in addition to its smaller scales. Still, the varghest's scales stop at its underside, along the line one might expect the ventral scales to begin on a dragon, revealing, instead, a surprisingly smooth, if thick, skin, in shades from cream to dark brown, similar in texture to what is seen on the head. Where the varghest has skin, it is often marked with streak patterns in blue, black, or red, with the body streaks often the same colour as the majority of the skin on the head. The head patterns on varghests are almost inevitably black.

Though they are smaller than wyverns, a full-grown varghest is still slightly larger than a human man, not including the tail, and weighs easily twice as much. In close combat, they tend to maul, getting in close and standing on their hind legs, to bring their enormous claws to bear. Varghests have proportionally small feet, front and back, featuring four forward-facing digits, tipped with massive claws, but no trace of a thumb or dewclaw. Still, the long teeth jutting from their long, leaf-nosed snouts cannot be underestimated, as the second stage of a varghest attack frequently features the creature opening its mouth nearly a hundred and sixty degrees, easily enough to close over the head and shoulders of most unwary hunters.

The position of the vargest's eyes is surprisingly close to the end of the snout, given the length of the skull, and those eyes do not face forward, as is also true for certain species of dragon. It is likely that they are more dependent on their hearing, given the long banners of their ears, and their sense of smell, to hunt. However, their split vision makes it just as difficult to sneak up on them as on any other common prey, as they can see anything fore of their rear legs, without turning their heads. Still, those who approach from behind are often felled by mighty swipes of the sharp-scaled tail.

 

### Distribution and Habitat

Varghests are found primarily in Orlais, in the lands touched by the Second Blight. The Western Approach provides the sort of barren expanses the varghest prefers, though it has been suggested they are transplants from elsewhere, as the blightlands still thrived until the Second Blight, and legends of the varghest are much older. Still, it is possible they have adapted to the loss of the verdant summers, over time. It is said they have also adapted to the blighted deserts of the Anderfels, but few crossing those regions have been sufficiently equipped against the climate to commit to extensive research.

 

### Diet

The varghest is an obligate carnivore, and regularly consumes fresh kills of animals up to the size of quillbacks, with humans firmly in the centre of the list. While it will attempt to swallow smaller prey whole, as its teeth are designed more for combat than chewing, things smaller than its head, like fennecs, are rarely worth the exertion necessary to pursue them. Though the teeth and scales, when combined with the varghest's low shoulder height, make it a deadly opponent for even the formidable gurn, varghests are often trampled to death, when they choose to pursue gurns or the occasional bronto attached to a caravan. Interestingly, varghests will hunt phoenixes, and consume them without a care as to the more dangerously toxic organs, which seem to have little effect on the varghest.

 

### Lifecycle and Behaviour

At one time, all varghests were believed to be female, due to the fact that no one had ever captured a male. It was not until the Storm Age that hunters became foolhardy enough to brave varghest burrows and well equipped enough to return, this time with caged males. As with other draconids, the males are substantially smaller, and stay in the burrow to guard the eggs and young, while the females -- what we commonly think of as 'varghests' -- do the hunting.

After the fashion of housecats, varghests often bring mauled live prey to their offspring and mates, having first ensured it is in no condition to fight back. During nesting season, a varghest will often seriously injure several large animals and drag them to the nest, consuming them in the order in which they expire. This is vitally important, as the varghest can be rendered unable to hunt for up to ten days, during the last stages of nest construction and the first few days after laying eggs.

Varghest eggs are estimated to take three months to hatch, based on variances in the local population, and the timing of young varghests first appearing from the nest aligns with what would have been the beginning of the rainy season, before the Second Blight. During the time between hatching and the first appearance of the young, adult female varghests are at their most dangerous, and the canyons are filled with the howls of mauled beasts being dragged away. Once the young vargests emerge, males are quickly claimed by the females of the previous year's hatching, being lifted up and carried away to the burrows they will continue to inhabit, from that point forward. Some females will fight with each other over males, as the season wears on and number of available males grows smaller, but the number of males in a litter is usually large enough to provide seeking females with more than one mate. Lone males rarely survive long, as they are easy prey for hyenas and other mid-size and larger carnivores.

Varghest mating behaviour has never been observed, as it apparently takes place in the burrow. Attempts to investigate the interiors of varghest burrows have, in all cases, ended in battle, and in most cases, in the loss of part, if not all, of the research team. Still, reports of the design of burrows and nests have been acquired from the few survivors of these expeditions. The burrows begin with long, high slopes to either side of the entrance, made of the earth dug out from within. The entrance tunnel will have several switchbacks, keeping the desert wind out and most of the smell in. The shape also allows anything coming in from the outside to be ambushed by the varghest brood within. The heart of the burrow is usually a round room with a high ceiling, in which the female's latest prey is kept. Smaller, angled tunnels lead back into chambers occupied by the males and some foul-smelling passages that may lead to bone dumps or toilet rooms. Directly back from the main chamber is another single or double switchback that leads to the nest, a mound of decaying plant matter with a bowl dug into the top for the eggs. It is postulated that the compost provides extra warmth for the eggs, allowing the mother to go back to hunting soon after laying them.

 

### Varghest Products

The light weight of the large, angular scales make them a popular choice for light armour, among the both legitimate trappers and bandits that haunt the Orlesian deserts. Scales are also sometimes used in tools to scrape the hides of other animals to prepare them for tanning. Varghest meat is relatively popular among those who dare hunt the beasts, but cured meat also fetches a fair price among the upper class. Varghest leather, made from the beast's unscaled skin, is used for a variety of clothing and accessories, from boots and gloves to bags and saddles, though it comes at a considerable price.

 

### Legends of the Varghest

Frederic of Serault writes that, before the rise of the Maker, the Ciriane once believed the varghests were hunters of those who wronged their kin, and that the beasts dragged their victims to the gods, for judgement. While, as he notes, this legend was likely brought on by the varghest's hunting for its mates and young, a brief exchange with some scholars of elven legend brings up some interesting points.

We know that the varghest is a relative of dragons. We also know that the elven goddess of justice and judgement is Mythal, who is frequently depicted either partly or entirely in the form of a dragon. While there is no explicit trace of the varghest in ancient elven legend, we have so little of it available to us written and thus unchanged by the passage of years. It may be worth pursuing a potential elven connection in that ancient Ciriane legend.

(At the bottom of the manuscript, a note is scrawled: _You're just trying to tie this to the elves so you can weasel into the running for Celene's elven historical scholarship funds!_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Notes
> 
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varghest>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Varghest>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varghest_Claw>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varghest_Scales>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Western_Approach>
>     * Once these wastes were a land of plenty. Can you believe it? The rain came north over the Gamordan Peaks, turning the plains green and verdant for three months of the year. Eight hundred years ago, that changed. During the Second Blight, darkspawn spilled out of an enormous crack in the earth, corrupting it with their foul blood... and it never recovered, even after they were driven back underground.
>   * Screenshots from: <http://necromatador.tumblr.com/post/105060267295/got-some-screenshots-of-a-varghest-and-the-codex>
>     * <https://78.media.tumblr.com/094899872d7ab0f217ff932812789071/tumblr_ngi625GtYl1qijrg9o1_1280.png>
>     * <https://78.media.tumblr.com/d68edc9bac8de0f5f33ddedf2c18696c/tumblr_ngi625GtYl1qijrg9o3_1280.png>
>     * <https://78.media.tumblr.com/4f7a93f459150d9186b0b81aaf383440/tumblr_ngi625GtYl1qijrg9o2_1280.png>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Phoenix>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Wyvern>
>   * World of Thedas 2, p 300.
>     * The varghest is a hunter that thrives in barren reaches, such as the Western Approach. The creature's appearance is so outlandish that for a time people believed the animals were demons. We know today that the bat-like snout, feathery tail, and overlapping scales are as natural as a nug's ears or a dragon's wings. The varghest's hide is much sought after for use in clothing and armour, but beware the serrated scales. The edges are so sharp, they've cut open many an unwary tanner's hand.
> 



	49. Creatures of Thedas: Deepstalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An excerpt from _Creatures of the Deep Roads_ , 9:42 Dragon.

### Description

The deepstalker is a feature of nearly every underground explorer's journal, a small reptilian beast with a speckled hide that lets it curl up and pass as a rock. Deepstalkers walk on two legs, and have long tails and a long neck that ends in mouths ringed with razor-sharp teeth. While deepstalkers technically have skulls, albeit cartilaginous ones, their heads are undistinguished from the rest of the neck, except by the appearance of two jutting eyes, a slight bit before the mouth.  
  
Unlike most other animals, the deepstalker does not have jaws, and its teeth are attached, essentially, to muscular structures, like tongues. A deepstalker bites by thrusting its tongues out and then drawing them back against the flesh, dragging its inward-hooked teeth across the target. But, do not be fooled! This is no true weakness, for the deepstalker can still cleave flesh easily, tearing out circlets as it attempts to burrow into its prey to reach the organs it likes best. A deepstalker's teeth also cannot be knocked out by striking, because they are not affixed to anything solid, though if one recoils from a bite with sufficient speed and strength, they can be broken or the tongues torn.  
  
The organ that looks like a more traditional tongue, extending from the centre of the deepstalker's mouth, is in fact its venom tube. Deepstalkers are able to spit venom up to eighteen feet, and depending on the type of deepstalker, the venom either breaks down flesh and bone (discolouring metal, but leaving stone unaffected) or paralyses the target.  
  
Perhaps more in the fashion of other beasts, the deepstalker also bears small razor-sharp claws on its five-fingered hands. These are made of the same material as the teeth and, like the teeth, they will grow back, if damaged. The deepstalker's arms are not as long as its neck, though, so the claws are rarely used to inflict damage, but they are quite effective in ensuring bitten prey does not escape as the deepstalker burrows in, with its head and neck. While the hands are five-fingered, the deepstalker appears to have only four toes on its feet, with the middle two joined with close webbing most of the way down their length. There is no thumb or posterior toe, and the foot ends in a smooth heel.  
  
The deepstalker is completed by its tail, a long, forked appendage. The fork bears several ball-ended spokes to either side, which seem to serve no anatomical purpose. It is speculated they may be some sort of sensory organ, registering vibrations in the stone or the proximity of other deepstalkers in the pack.  
  


### Distribution and Habitat

Deepstalkers are found almost solely underground, most often in the Deep Roads, though some lurk in caves closer to the surface. It has been proposed that, since the caves in which deepstalkers are found are linked to the Deep Roads, they are forced up by the passage of large groups of darkspawn or other predators settling in their territory. Deepstalker colonies will frequently settle in wide dead-end tunnels and large caves with narrow single entrances, providing a defensible area for nest-building.  
  
Strangely, one group of these normally subterranean creatures has migrated fully to the surface, taking up residence in coastal areas. Aside from a tolerance to much higher humidity than their underground cousins, these 'sand stalkers', as they are called, seem to be physically and behaviourally much the same as deepstalkers. They often nest among rocks above the high-tide mark or in abandoned seaside Deep Roads entrances.  
  
There has been no section of Deep Roads discovered that has not already contained deepstalkers, and wherever the Deep Roads meet the coast, sand stalkers seem to follow, though they are most noticeable along the Amaranthine coastline.  
  


### Diet

Deepstalkers appear to be strictly carnivorous, though some mutations are thought to be caused by lyrium, and it is debated whether that is ambient lyrium exposure or consumption. They will consume any prey they can corner and stun, from nugs to dwarves, though nugs do make up the majority of their diet. It is suspected that deepstalkers may consume darkspawn, though no one has witnessed this, and the taint has not been found in any deepstalker corpses. It is possible that, like nugs and dragons, they are resistant to the taint.  
  
Sand stalkers have a somewhat more varied diet, consisting largely of sea birds and other unwary coastal animals. They will consume fish, but are unable to swim to catch them, so fish consumption is a side effect of catching birds that are carrying fish. Still, having similar dietary needs to their Deep Roads cousins, sand stalkers will also hunt unwary travellers passing through their territory.  
  


### Lifecycle and Behaviour

It is unknown how long wild deepstalkers live, but those raised in captivity in Orzammar tend to survive 7-10 years, when kept as pets. Livestock, as deepstalkers are kept in more distant thaigs, is generally butchered in the third year, when the meat has the best texture for cooking. Causes of death for wild deepstalkers tend to include getting caught in rockfalls and being slain by prey they've misjudged. It is not uncommon for several deepstalkers in a pack to fall before the pack takes down a larger creature.  
  
Deepstalkers do hunt in packs, with each pack following a leader -- usually a slightly larger, darker-coloured deepstalker -- into battle. The leader will often frighten prey so it will run toward the rest of the pack, and away from its own companions, leaving the creature vulnerable to their spit attacks. Most often, a pack of deepstalkers will lie in wait, burrowing into the ground and pretending to be a cluster of fallen rocks, until they feel the footsteps of approaching prey, at which point they will show themselves, leaping up in a sudden ambush. While deepstalkers will attack prey several times their size, brontos tend to be more than most packs can handle, and merchants travelling with bronto caravans may experience fewer deepstalker attacks than groups travelling without, though deepstalkers will not attack an entire group, in most cases, but will wait for someone to lag behind or step aside, leaving scouts, rear guard, and people who stop to pee particularly vulnerable.  
  
Young deepstalkers are just as dangerous as adults. They hatch fully formed and are ready to begin hunting within hours, though the matriarch must herd them away from the nests, lest they attempt to eat the unhatched eggs. The matriarch of a colony will lay one egg every other day -- a monstrous thing nearly half the size of her body, not including limbs, neck, and tail -- and six eggs seem to be the standard clutch size, and not coincidentally, the standard pack size. After laying a clutch, the matriarch will hunt for a few days and then dig another nest close to the first one, to begin the process again. It is not uncommon for a deepstalker colony to feature ten to fifteen nests at a time, with the nesting area heavily guarded by several packs.  
  
The eggs tend to hatch after about two months, meaning four nests can be filled before the first begins to hatch. This leaves a few clutches unhatched, in the event of the matriarch's death, and it is from one of those eggs that the new matriarch will be born, as some signal is made or removed with the death of the matriarch that allows another to be born.  
  


### Products

Deepstalker leather is a common material for low-grade armour in the Deep Roads. Though the material is thin, it is surprisingly tough, providing almost the same protection to a person wearing it as it once provided the deepstalker. Their claws are sometimes used in inexpensive stonecarving tools or as tips for non-metal weapons. Deepstalker meat is not popular in Orzammar, though it is readily consumed by the Legion of the Dead and members of the Carta, who keep small colonies for food purposes.  
  


### Legends

Perhaps the most famed, and certainly the oldest, of tales about deepstalkers was transcribed, if possibly not composed, by Paragon Ebryan, in the Exalted Age. The tale tells of a warrior, Gason, blinded by wrath and envy, who struck out at the Stone, and his outburst of rage turned the broken chunks of stone he'd smashed from a mural into the first deepstalkers, who then consumed him. This sets the deepstalker as a magical creature, one to be counted among the 'spirits of the earth', alongside gangue shades -- said to be another case of dishonour poisoning the Stone. Interestingly, those few who walk the fade report having seen deepstalker-like creatures there, which they have labelled 'gibbering horrors', implying there may be deepstalkers that are spirits of the Fade.  
  
Dwarven children's songs and stories warn against wandering off, alone, particularly into dim and sparsely populated areas, lest the deepstalkers strike. While these are presented as scary stories, the dangers described are quite real, and fairly accurately depict deepstalker attacks. Deepstalkers are often ascribed with certain attributes and powers, in these stories -- stealth, swiftness, cooperation, toughness, and viciousness -- and these characteristics are carried over into some runed items that are named for the creatures, like the Qunari painted armour called 'deepstalker', which causes the wearer to strike with greater force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker>
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_(variation)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_%28variation%29)
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_leader>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_matriarch>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Sand_stalker>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Sand_stalker_spitter>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Sand_stalker_leader>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Gibbering_horror>
>   * Stuff
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Sigil_of_the_Deepstalker>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_Vitaar>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker%27s_Belt>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Tezpadam%27s_Bane>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_Hide>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker_Claw>
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mercy%27s_Crest>
>   * Legends
>     * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Deepstalker>
>     * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Deepstalker_(Origins)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Deepstalker_%28Origins%29)
>     * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Art_of_the_Winter_Palace_(Deepstalker)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Note:_The_Art_of_the_Winter_Palace_%28Deepstalker%29)
>   * Print Books
>     * _Dragon Age: The World of Thedas_ , vol. 1, pp. 163, 177, 182
>     * _Dragon Age: The World of Thedas_ , vol. 2, pp 209, 211
>     * _Dragon Age (tabletop RPG)_ , Game Master's Guide, set 2, p. 24
> 



	50. Creatures of Thedas: Ghast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An excerpt from _Creatures of the Deep Roads_ , 9:42 Dragon.

### Description

Ghasts are small, bipedal, hunchbacked creatures. Their heads are shaped somewhat like those of turtles, with wide, bony eye sockets and a low dome, but the ghast lacks a beak. In fact, the ghast lacks lips, as well, its thick skin ceasing just shy of the bright red gums and needle-like teeth. Their noses are oddly asymmetrical and lacking in any protective flesh -- two bare holes just above the top teeth, the left higher than the right.

Ghast skin is leathery and grey, with a texture like that of some lighter animal leathers, and both their hands and feet feature black claws. Notably, they do have hands and feet, rather than paws, with a full range of dexterity in the hands, that lends itself to tool use. Most often, this lends itself to the creatures habit of dressing themselves and wielding weapons. Ghast mages, called velghasts, are often seen wearing helmets with half-masks that seem to be demonstrations of their crafting ability. Often, ghasts will dress in dark loincloths, bronze bracelets, and leather cuirasses that give the appearance of a spiked turtle shell to their backs. Their leaders, called velghastrials, will often wear bronze instead of leather.

Unlike many creatures of Thedas, ghasts do not exhibit sexual dimorphism, leading some biologists to question whether they are sexual creatures at all, or simply parthenogenetic.

### Distribution and Habitat

Ghasts are cave-dwelling creatures, and their habitat seems to span Thedas. They've been spotted from the peaks of the Vimmark Mountains to the desert blightlands of Orlais, with little concern given to the climate outside their caves. Ghast camps are often in parts of a cave system only accessible through passages too small for most sentient creatures to fit through, though some camps, particularly those in the Vimmarks, are found in more accessible places, though in caves rarely travelled by humans or darkspawn.

A ghast camp will usually have a central fire that remains lit and one or more smaller firepits that may or may not be lit at any given time. The smaller fires seem to be used for cooking and it is assumed they are lit from the larger one. While ghasts do not construct furniture, as we would understand it, they may stack stones or cut wood in decreasing size, to provide shelving for things not immediately used. Standing totems, more often on a pole than freestanding, mark the boundaries of the camp and designate important places, like the velghastrial's niche. Velghasts will sometimes create totems composed of the skeletal remains and unused gear of adventurers, held in place by roots called up by magic.

Niches are carved into the stone around the main body of the camp to provide smaller, more concealed places for sleeping. It is presumed these are carved out with tools stolen from settlements or camps in the area, as the ghasts do not seem to craft their own picks, but cut-down dwarven picks have been found in camps.

### Diet

As tool-using creatures, ghasts have a somewhat more processed diet than other creatures in similar habitats. Deepstalker is an essential element, often roasted in its own skin, under the coals of a large fire. Other foods found near ghast camps include remains of animals as large as bears, mushrooms and other fungus, berries, larger fruits that show signs of being collected after they fell from trees, and insect remains showing signs of cooking. To judge from refuse piles, roasted beetles are a popular choice, throughout the ghast population, while fruits seem to vary more with location. 

In the Blightlands, the berries and leaves of young dragonthorn trees are often found dried and stored in fantastically decorated boxes, as if intended for ritual use. Crushed amrita vein found in the refuse heaps of those camps leads to suspicions that velghasts may drink a tea of dragonthorn leaves with amrita vein extract to enhance their magical potency. Occasionally, dried or mouldy cactus berries are found in refuse heaps, and in the Anderfels, in particular, blightlands fig seems common.

In the Vimmarks, more usual fruits can be found -- mountain apples, blueberries, raspberries, pears, apricots, and prophet's laurel berries have all been found regularly around ghast camps. The crushed remains of prophet's laurel berries and raspberries are sometimes found in the refuse heaps of these camps, along with bowl-indented stones stained red. The conclusion seems to be that these fruits are crushed for some sort of juice that is either drunk immediately or used in pigment, because no evidence of storage or fermentation has been found.

### Lifecycle and Behaviour

Ghasts are difficult to mark for research, but thankfully, they tend to mark themselves, preferring to wear the same styles of clothing, masks, or warpaint for most of a lifetime. It is suggested that a ghast naturally lives about fifteen to twenty years, with velghasts on the upper end of that, though due to their habit of hunting much larger creatures and raiding travellers' camps, few actually live that long. Although young ghasts have been seen, no evidence of how they come into being has yet been discovered, leading to the speculation that there may be a ghast queen somewhere, laying eggs. The fact is, we simply do not know how they reproduce.

While few tools or articles of clothing recovered from ghast camps and corpses have been entirely ghast-made, even those originally made by and for other races have been significantly modified in ingenious ways. Their warriors, called 'brutes', are fond of wearing plate gauntlets as helmets, the fingers curling around the sides of the face and between the eyes, and the wrist draping down the back to protect the neck. These often have straps fastened on to keep them in place. Spears are often made from stolen arrows and longer crossbow bolts, and swords, where they are found, are frequently made of split shears, small knives, or razors. The staves and masks of velghasts and velghastrials are the height of ghast craftsmanship, often combining carved wood and cut metal. Masks are often painted to evoke demons or animal skulls, and staves tend to end in some sort of effigy, with human-styled kings, warriors, and other powerful enemies common choices.

Bedecked in leather and makeshift armour, small groups of ghasts will set out from their camps to hunt meat or raid nearby travellers' wagons or adventurer's camps. A group of as few as five ghasts can fairly easily take down an average sized bear, though in lesser numbers, they are barely worth notice, aside from the chittering and squealing they do to draw others of their kind. Though there is still some minor debate about whether it qualifies as language, most biologists trained in reputable schools agree that these sounds do not qualify as a language. Ghasts do not speak, they say, but merely have predefined cries like birds, making them, in the eyes of these scholars, smart animals, but not genuinely sentient creatures. I would offer that the directed and intentional use of magic by velghasts and the ingenuity of ghast craftsmanship suggests otherwise.

Interestingly, despite the obvious use of magic, no records exist of ghasts being possessed. It is uncertain if this is, like their reproduction, something that remains hidden from us, or if it genuinely does not occur. If, as some scholars suspect, the use of magic is some raw animal instinct, rather than, as others suggest, stemming from the observation of apostates, this may mean that ghasts, and velghasts in particular, are operating within a different framework for magic, one that may not draw the attention of demons, and it would do us well to investigate that. However, the tendency toward spells civilised parties would consider parts of the Spirit school of magic suggests they are drawing upon the Fade, and not some subtle natural magic as is often speculated to exist in certain woodlands.

### Products

Perhaps unsurprisingly, nothing is made of ghast -- no ghast-skin boots or talon-bladed tools. Most Thedosian cultures will not eat them, either, as their uncanny resemblance to civilised species makes the idea repugnant. Their resemblance to hurlocks also tends to keep even those who try to make use of everything from doing much with ghasts besides burning their corpses.

Things made by ghasts are often primitive and of little use to any adventurers who encounter them, and are rarely brought back to civilisation except as oddities or sometimes trophies.

### Legends

It was once thought that ghasts might be some sort of darkspawn, given their visual similarity to hurlocks, but this has been disproved through a series of experiments involving feeding dead ghasts to wolves. As none of the wolves became tainted, ghasts must not carry the taint.

Other stories focus on the thieving nature of the ghast, from ghasts stealing an opposing army's weapons before a battle -- a story told in the Anderfels -- to ghasts stealing the children of unwary refugees. What use ghasts would have or those children is not specified in any of those tales, far more common in the wake of Qunari invasions and Blights, but left to the reader's imagination.

\-- from _Creatures of the Deep Roads_ , 9:42 Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ghast>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ghast_brute>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ghastling>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Velghast>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Velghastrial>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Ghast>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Blackwall/Dialogue#Hissing_Wastes>
>   * <http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Tallis/Dialogue>
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varric_Tethras/Dialogue_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Varric_Tethras/Dialogue_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * [http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Resistances_(Dragon_Age_II)](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Resistances_%28Dragon_Age_II%29)
>   * _Dragon Age: The World of Thedas_ , vol. 1, p. 174
>     * Ghast: A ghast is a small, vicious biped that dwells in mountain caves. One of these nattering creatures is little more than a nuisance and will flee if threatened. A pack of five or more, however, are much  bolder and can easily overwhelm a bear. Although ghasts are cunning and able to cooperate for survival, they show no signs of true intelligence. They are unable to speak, communicating only through grunts and squeals.
>     * Velghastrial: Occasionally, a pack of ghasts will include a strange creature known as a velghastrial. Although similar in appearance to a common ghast, the velghastrial can wield magic. Observers have speculated velghastrials first learned magic by lurking around and watching other mages. Others believe that ghasts, like animals, are sensitive to the unseen forces that shape our world and that the velghastrial is able to utilize magic purely through instinct. It is unknown if velghastrials risk possession when casting spells, as mages of other races do. 
> 



End file.
